不认识圣经，就是不认识基督，不认识基督，就是不认识基督所建立的天主教会。
新约·宗徒大事录
共28章:
第一章(26)
序言
1:1 德敖斐罗！我在第一部书中，已论及耶稣所行所教的一切，
1:2 直到他借圣神嘱咐了所选的宗徒之后，被接去的那一天为止；
1:3 他受难以后，用了许多凭据，向他们显明自己还活着，四十天之久发现给他们，讲论天主国的事。
耶稣升天
1:4 耶稣与他们一起进食时，吩咐他们不要离开耶路撒冷，但要等候父的恩许，即你们听我所说过的：
1:5 「若翰固然以水施了洗，但不多几天以后，你们要因圣神受洗。」
1:6 他们聚集的时候，就问耶稣说：「主，是此时要给以色列复兴国家吗﹖」
1:7 他回答说：「父以自己的权柄所定的时候和日期，不是你们应当知道的；
1:8 但当圣神降临于你们身上时，你们将充满圣神的德能，要在耶路撒冷及全犹太和撒玛黎雅，并直到地极，为我作证人。」
1:9 耶稣说完这些话，就在他们观望中，被举上升，有块云彩接了他去，离开他们的眼界。
1:10 他们向天注视着他上升的时候，忽有两个穿白衣的人站在他们前，
1:11 向他们说：「加里肋亚人！你们为什么站着望天呢﹖这位离开你们，被接到天上去的耶稣，你们看见他怎样升了天，也要怎样降来。」
前编 伯多禄事录
耶路撒冷教会
等候圣神降临
1:12 那时，他们从名叫橄榄的山上，回了耶路撒冷，这山离耶路撒冷不远，有一安息日的路程。
1:13 他们进了城，就上了那座他们所居住的楼房，在那里有伯多禄、若望、雅各伯、安德肋、斐理伯、多默、巴尔多禄茂、玛窦、阿耳斐的儿子雅各伯、热诚者西满及雅各伯的兄弟犹达。
1:14 这些人同一些妇女及耶稣的母亲玛利亚并他的兄弟，都同心合意地专务祈祷。
拣选玛弟亚代犹达斯为宗徒
1:15 有一天，伯多禄起来站在弟兄们中间说：──当时在一起的众人大约共有一百二十名──
1:16 「诸位仁人弟兄！圣神藉达味的口，关于领导逮捕耶稣的犹达斯所预言的经文，必须应验。
1:17 他本来是我们中间的一位，分占了这职务的一分；
1:18 但这人竟用不义的代价买了一块田地，他倒头堕下，腹部崩裂，一切脏腑都流了出来。
1:19 耶路撒冷的居民尽人皆知，为此，他们以本地话称那块田地为「哈刻达玛，」就是「血田」的意思。
1:20 原来在圣咏集上曾记载说：『愿他的居所变成荒土，没有人在那里居住。』又说：『让人取去他的职位。』
1:21 所以必须从这些人中，即主耶稣在我们中间来往的所有时期内，常同我们在一起的人中，
1:22 由若翰施洗起，直到耶稣从我们中被接去的日子止，由这些人中，应当有一个同我们一起作他复活的见证人。」
1:23 他们便提出了名叫巴尔撒巴，号称犹斯托的若瑟，和玛弟亚两个人。
1:24 他们就祈祷说：「主，你认识众人的心，求你指示，这两个人中，你拣选了那一个，
1:25 使他取得这职务的地位，即宗徒的职位，因为犹达斯放弃了这职位，去了他自己的地方。」
1:26 他们给二人拈阄，玛弟亚中了阄，就列入十一位宗徒之中。
前编 伯多禄事录
耶路撒冷教会
第二章(47)
圣神降临
2:1 五旬节日一到，众人都聚集一处。
2:2 忽然，从天上来了一阵响声，好象暴风刮来，充满了他们所在的全座房屋。
2:3 有些散开好象火的舌头，停留在他们每人头上，
2:4 众人都充满了圣神，照圣神赐给他们的话？说起外方话来。
2:5 那时，居住在耶路撒冷的，有从天下各国来的虔诚的犹太人。
2:6 这声音一响，就聚来了许多人，都仓皇失措，因为人人都听见他们说自己的方言。
2:7 他们惊讶奇怪地说：「看，这些说话的不都是加里肋亚人吗﹖
2:8 怎么我们每人听见他们说我们出生地的方言呢﹖
2:9 我们中有帕提雅人、玛待人、厄蓝人和居住在美索不达米亚、犹太及卡帕多细雅、本都并亚细亚、
2:10 夫黎基雅和旁非里雅、埃及并靠近基勒乃的利比亚一带的人，以及侨居的罗马人、
2:11 犹太人和归依犹太教的人、克里特人和阿剌伯人，怎么我们都听见他们用我们的话，讲论天主的奇事呢﹖」
2:12 众人都惊讶犹豫，彼此说：「这是什么事﹖」
2:13 另有些人却讥笑说：「他们喝醉了酒！」
伯多禄讲道
2:14 伯多禄就同十一位宗徒站起来，高声向他们说：「犹太人和所有居住在耶路撒冷的人！请你们留意，侧耳静听我的话!
2:15 这些人并不像你们所设想的喝醉了，因为才是白天第三时辰；
2:16 反而这是藉岳厄尔先知所预言的：」
2:17 到末日──天主说──我要将我的神倾住在所有有血肉的人身上，你们的儿子和女儿都要说预言，青年人要见异像，老年人要看梦境。
2:18 甚至在那些日子里，连在我的仆人和我的婢女身上，我也要倾住我的神；他们要讲预言。
2:19 我要在天上显示奇迹，在下地显示征兆：血、火和烟气。
2:20 在上主的伟大和显赫的日子来临以前，太阳要变成昏暗，月亮要变成血红。
2:21 将来，凡呼号上主名字的人，必然获救。』
2:22 诸位以色列人！请听这些话：纳匝肋人耶稣是天主用德能、奇迹和征兆──即天主藉他在你们中所行的，一如你们所知道的──给你们证明了的人。
2:23 他照天主已定的计划和预知，被交付了；你们借着不法者的手，钉他在十字架上，杀死了他；
2:24 天主却解除了他死亡的苦痛，使他复活了，因为他不能受死亡的控制，
2:25 因为达味指着他说：『我常将上主置于我眼前；我决不动摇，因他在我右边。
2:26 因此，我心欢乐，我的舌愉快，连我的肉身也要安息于希望中，
2:27 因为你决不会将我的灵魂遗弃在阴府，也不会让你的圣者见到腐朽。
2:28 你要将生命的道路指示给我，要在你面前用喜乐充满我。』
2:29 诸位仁人弟兄！容我坦白对你们讲论圣祖达味的事罢！他死了，也埋葬了，他的坟墓直到今天还在我们这里。
2:30 他既是先知，也知道天主曾以誓词对他起了誓，要从他的子嗣中立一位来坐他的御座。
2:31 他既预见了，就论及默西亚的复活说：『他没有被遗弃在阴府，他的肉身也没有见到腐朽。』
2:32 这位耶稣，天主使他复活了，我们都是他的见证人。
2:33 他被举扬到天主的右边，由父领受了所恩许的圣神；你们现今所见所闻的，就是他所倾注的圣神。
2:34 达味本来没有升到天上，但是他却说：『上主对吾主说：你坐在我右边，
2:35 等我使你的仇敌，变作你脚的踏板。』
2:36 所以，以色列全家应确切知道：天主已把你们所钉死的这位耶稣，立为主，立为默西亚了。」
三千人归化
2:37 他们一听见这些话，就心中刺痛，遂向伯多禄和其它宗徒说：「诸位仁人弟兄！我们该作什么﹖」
2:38 伯多禄便对他们说：「你们悔改罢！你们每人要以耶稣基督的名字受洗，好赦免你们的罪过，并领受圣神的恩惠。
2:39 因为这恩许就是为了你们和你们的子女，以及一切远方的人，因为都是我们的上主天主所召叫的。」
2:40 他还讲了很多别的作证的话，并劝他们说：「你们应救自己脱离这邪恶的世代。」
2:41 于是，凡接受他的话的人，都受了洗；在那一天约增添了三千人。
新兴教会
2:42 他们专心听取宗徒的训诲，时常团聚，擘饼，祈祷。
2:43 因为宗徒显了许多奇迹异事，每人都怀着敬畏之情。
2:44 凡信了的人，常齐集一处，一切所有皆归公用。
2:45 他们把产业和财物变卖，按照每人的需要分配。
2:46 每天都成群结队地前往圣殿，也挨户擘饼，怀着欢乐和诚实的心一起进食。
2:47 他们常赞颂天主，也获得了全民众的爱戴；上主天天使那些得救的人加入会众。
第三章(26)
伯多禄治好胎生瘸子
3:1 伯多禄和若望在祈祷的时辰，即第九时辰，上圣殿去。
3:2 有一个人从母胎中就瘸了；每天有人抬他来，放在名叫丽门的殿门前，好向进圣殿的人求施舍。
3:3 他看见伯多禄和若望要进圣殿，便求给他们一点施舍。
3:4 伯多禄和若望定睛看着他说：「你看我们！」
3:5 他就注目看他们，希望得点什么。
3:6 伯多禄却说：「银子和金子，我没有；但把我所有的给你：因纳匝肋人耶稣基督的名字，你【起来】行走罢!」
3:7 于是握住他的右手，拉他起来；他的脚和踝骨就立即强壮了。
3:8 他跳起来，能站立行走；遂同他们进入圣殿，随走随跳，赞美天主。
3:9 众百姓也都看见他行走赞美天主。
3:10 他们一认出他就是那坐在圣殿丽门前求施舍的人，就对他所遇到的事，满怀惊讶诧异。
伯多禄向百姓讲道
3:11 当那人拉着伯多禄和若望的时候，众百姓都惊奇地跑到他们那里，即到名叫「撒罗满廊」下。
3:12 伯多禄一见，就发言对百姓说：「诸位以色列人！你们为什么对这事惊奇﹖或者为什么注视我们，好象是我们因自己的能力或热心使他行走﹖
3:13 亚巴郎、依撒格和雅各伯的天主，我们祖先的天主，光荣了自己的仆人耶稣，他就是你们所解送，并在比拉多前所否认的；虽然那人原判定要释放他，
3:14 你们却否认了那圣而且义的人，竟要求把杀人犯，恩赐给你们，
3:15 反而杀害了生命之原；天主却从死者中复活了他，我们就是这事的见证人。
3:16 因我们信仰他的名，他的名就强壮了你们所看见，所认识的这人：即由他而来的信德，在你们众人面前赐这人完全好了。
3:17 现今，弟兄们！我知道你们所行的，是出于无知；你们的首领也是如此。
3:18 但天主借着众先知的口，预言他的默西亚当受难的事，也就这样应验了。
3:19 你们悔改，并回心转意罢！好消除你们的罪过，
3:20 为的是使安乐的时期由上主面前来到，他好给你们派遣已预定的默西亚耶稣，
3:21 因为他必须留在天上，直到万物复兴的时候；对此，天主借着他古圣先知的口早已说过了。
3:22 梅瑟说过：『上主，我们的天主，要从你们的弟兄们中，给你们兴起一位像我一样的先知，你们应在他吩咐的一切事上听从他。
3:23 将来无论谁，若不听从那位先知，必从民间铲除。』
3:24 其实，所有的先知，自撒慕尔起，及以后讲话的先知，都预言了这些日子。
3:25 你们是先知和盟约之子，那盟约是天主与你们的祖先所订立的，因他曾向亚巴郎说：『地上万民，都要因你的后裔，获得祝福。』
3:26 天主先给你们兴起他的仆人，派他来祝福你们，使你们个个归依，脱离你们的邪恶。」
第四章(37)
伯多禄与若望被捕受审
4:1 正当他们向百姓讲话的时候，司祭、圣殿警官和撒杜塞人来到他们那里，
4:2 大为恼怒，因为他们教训百姓，并宣讲耶稣从死者中复活，
4:3 遂下手拿住他们，押在拘留所里，直到第二天，因为天已晚了。
4:4 但听道的人中，有许多人信从了，男人的数目，大约有五千。
4:5 到了第二天，犹太人的首领、长老和经师都聚集在耶路撒冷，
4:6 还有大司祭亚纳斯和盖法、若望、亚历山大以及大司祭家族的人。
4:7 他们就令宗徒们站在中间，仔细考问说：「你们凭什么能力，或以谁的名义行这事﹖」
伯多禄的答辞
4:8 那时，伯多禄充满圣神，向他们说：「各位百姓首领和长老!
4:9 如果你们今天询问我们有关向一个病人行善的事，并且他怎样痊愈了，
4:10 我很高兴告诉你们和全以色列百姓：是凭纳匝肋人耶稣基督的名字即是你们所钉死，天主从死者中所复活的；就是凭着这人，这个站在你们面前的人好了。
4:11 这耶稣就是为你们『匠人所弃而不用的石头，反而成了屋角基石。』
4:12 除他以外，无论凭谁，决无救援，因为在天下人间，没有赐下别的名字，使我们赖以得救的。」
二徒被释出狱
4:13 他们看到伯多禄和若望的胆量，并晓得他们是没有读过书的平常人，就十分惊讶；他们既认出他们是同耶稣在一起的，
4:14 又看见那治好了的人，同他们一起站着，都无言可对。
4:15 遂命他们暂且离开公议会，彼此商议，
4:16 说：「对这些人我们可以作什么呢﹖因为他们确实显了一个明显的奇迹，凡耶路撒冷的居民都知道了，我们也不能否认。
4:17 但是，为叫这事不再在民间传播，我们当恐吓他们，叫他们不可再因这名字向任何人发言。」
4:18 遂叫了他们来，严令他们绝对不可再因耶稣的名发言施教。
4:19 伯多禄和若望却回答说：「听从你们而不听从天主，在天主前是否合理，你们评断罢!
4:20 因为我们不得不说我们所见所闻的事。」
4:21 议员们为了百姓的原故，找不到借口来处罚他们，就把他们恐吓一番，予以释放了，因为众人都为所发生的事光荣天主。
4:22 原来那因奇迹治好了的人，已有四十多岁了。
教众的祈祷
4:23 他们被释放之后，来到自己的人那里，报告了大司祭和长老向他们所说的一切；
4:24 大家一听，都同心合意地高声向天主说：「上主！『是你创造了天地海洋，和其中的一切。』
4:25 你曾以圣神藉我们的祖先，你的仆人达味的口说过：『异民为何叛乱﹖万民为何策划妄事﹖
4:26 世上的君王起来，首领聚集在一起，反对上主和他的受傅者。』
4:27 实在，黑落德和般雀比拉多与异民和以色列人聚集在这座城内，反对你的圣仆人耶稣，反对你的受傅者，
4:28 实行了你的手和计划所预定要成就的事。
4:29 现今，上主！请注意他们的恐吓，赐你的仆人以绝大的胆量，宣讲你的真道，
4:30 同时伸出你的手，藉你的圣仆人耶稣的名字治病，显征兆，行奇迹。」
4:31 他们祈祷后，他们聚集的地方震动起来，众人都充满了圣神，大胆地宣讲天主的真道。
信徒的共同生活
4:32 众信徒都是一心一意，凡各人所有的，没有人说是自己的，都归公用。
4:33 宗徒们以大德能，作证主耶稣的复活，在众人前大受爱戴。
4:34 在他们中，没有一个贫乏的人，因为凡有田地和房屋的，卖了以后，都把卖得的价钱带来，
4:35 放在宗徒们脚前，照每人所需要的分配。
4:36 有位若瑟，宗徒称之为巴尔纳伯，解说「安慰之子，」是肋未人，生于塞浦路斯岛，
4:37 他有田地，卖了以后，也把银钱带来，放在宗徒脚前。
第五章(42)
阿纳尼雅夫妻受严罚
5:1 有一个人，名叫阿纳尼雅，同他的妻子撒斐辣卖了一块田地。
5:2 他扣留了一部分价钱，妻子也表同意，就带了一部份去放在宗徒脚前。
5:3 伯多禄说道：「阿纳尼雅！为什么撒殚充满了你的心，使你欺骗圣神，扣留了田地的价钱呢﹖
5:4 田地留下不卖，不是还是你的吗﹖既卖了，价钱不是还属于你权下吗﹖为什么你心中打算了这事﹖你不是欺骗人，而是欺骗天主！」
5:5 阿纳尼雅一听这话，就跌倒断了气。凡听见的人，都十分害怕。
5:6 年轻人就起来，把他裹起，抬去埋葬了。
5:7 大约隔了三个时辰，他的妻子进来了，还不知所发生的事。
5:8 伯多禄问她说：「你告诉我：你们卖田地的价钱就是这么多吗﹖」她说：「是，就是这么多。」
5:9 伯多禄便说：「你们为什么共谋试探主的神呢﹖看，埋葬你丈夫者的脚已到门口，他们也要把你抬去。」
5:10 她立刻跌倒在他脚前，也断了气。年轻人进来，见她死了，就抬去埋葬在她丈夫旁边。
5:11 全教会和一切听见这些事的人，都十分害怕。
宗徒大显奇迹
5:12 宗徒们在百姓中行了许多征兆，显了许多奇迹。众信徒都同心合意地聚在撒罗满廊下，
5:13 其他的人没有一个敢与他们接近的；但是百姓都夸赞他们。
5:14 信主的人越来越增加，男女的人数极其众多。
5:15 宗徒们行了这样多的奇迹，以致有人把病人抬到街上，放在床上或褥子上，好叫伯多禄走过的时候，至少他的影子能遮在一些人身上。
5:16 还有许多耶路撒冷四周城市的人，抬着病人和被邪魔所缠扰的人，齐集而来，他们都得了痊愈。
天使由狱中救出宗徒
5:17 大司祭和他的一切同人，即撒杜塞党人，都起来，嫉恨填胸，
5:18 下手拿住宗徒，把他们押在公共拘留所内。
5:19 夜间，有上主的天使打开了监狱的门，领他们出来说：
5:20 「你们去，站在圣殿里，把一切有关生命的话，讲给百姓听。」
5:21 他们领了命，天一亮就进入圣殿施教。大司祭和他的同人来召开公议会，即以色列子民全长老议会，差人去监里把宗徒们提出来。
5:22 差役来到，在监狱中没有找到他们，便回去报告，
5:23 说：「我们确实看见监狱关锁的非常牢固，卫兵也站在门前，但一打开，里面没有找到一个人。」
5:24 圣殿警官和司祭长一听这些话，十分纳闷，不知发生了什么事。
5:25 忽有一个人来向他们报告说：「看，你们押在监狱里的人，站在圣殿里，教训百姓。」
宗徒再答辩公议会
5:26 圣殿警官就同差役去把他们领来，但未用武力，因为怕百姓用石头砸他们。
5:27 他们把宗徒领来之后，叫他们站在公议会中，大司祭便审问他们，
5:28 说：「我们曾严厉命令你们，不可用这名字施教。你们看，你们却把你们的道理传遍了耶路撒冷，你们是有意把这人的血，引到我们身上来啊！」
5:29 伯多禄和宗徒们回答说：「听天主的命应胜过听人的命。
5:30 我们祖先的天主复活了你们下毒手悬在木架上的耶稣。
5:31 天主以右手举扬了他，叫他做首领和救主，为赐给以色列人悔改和罪赦。
5:32 我们就是这些事的证人，并且天主给那些服从他的人所赏的圣神，也为此事作证。」
5:33 他们一听这话，大发雷霆，想要杀害他们。
加玛里耳的卫护
5:34 有一个法利塞人，名叫加玛里耳，是众百姓敬重的法学士，他在公议会中站起来，命这些人暂时出去。
5:35 他便向议员们说：「诸位以色列人！你们对这些人，应小心处理!
5:36 因为在不久以前，特乌达起来，说自己是个大人物，附和他的人数约有四百；他被杀了，跟从他的人也都散了，归于乌有。
5:37 此后，加里肋亚人犹达，当户口登记的日子，起来引诱百姓随从他；他丧亡了，跟从他的人也都四散了。
5:38 对现今的事，我奉劝你们：不要管这些人，由他们去罢！因为，若是这计划或工作是由人来的，必要消散；
5:39 但若是从天主来的，你们不但不能消灭他们，恐怕你们反而成了与天主作对的人。」他们都赞成他的意见。
宗徒被鞭打获释
5:40 他们遂把宗徒们叫来，鞭打了以后，命他们不可再因耶稣的名字讲道，遂释放了他们。
5:41 他们喜喜欢欢地由公议会前出来，因为他们配为这名字受侮辱。
5:42 他们每天不断在圣殿内，或挨户施教，宣讲基督耶稣的福音。
第六章(15)
选立七位执事
6:1 那时候，门徒们渐渐增多，希腊化的犹太人，对希伯来人发出了怨言，因为他们在日常的供应品上，疏忽了他们的寡妇。
6:2 于是十二宗徒召集众门徒说：「让我们放弃天主的圣言，而操管饮食，实在不相宜。
6:3 所以，弟兄们！当从你们中检定七位有好声望，且充满圣神和智慧的人，派他们管这要务。
6:4 至于我们，我们要专务祈祷，并为真道服役。」
6:5 这番话得了全体的悦服，就选了斯德望，他是位充满信德和圣神的人，和斐理伯、仆洛曷洛、尼加诺尔、提孟、帕尔默纳及尼苛劳，他是个归依犹太教的安提约基雅人，
6:6 叫他们立在宗徒面前；宗徒们祈祷以后，就给他们覆了手。
6:7 天主的道渐渐发扬，门徒的数目在耶路撒冷大为增加，司祭中也有许多人，服从了信仰。
斯德望的活动
6:8 斯德望充满恩宠和德能，在百姓中显大奇迹，行大征兆。
6:9 当时，有些称为「自由人」会堂中的人，以及基勒乃和亚历山大里亚人的会堂的人，还有些属基里基雅和亚细亚会堂的人，起来，同斯德望辩论；
6:10 但是他们敌不住他的智慧，因为他是藉圣神说话。
斯德望被捕
6:11 于是他们便怂涌一些人，说：「我们听见他说过亵渎梅瑟和天主的话。」
6:12 他们又煽动了百姓、长老和经师，一同跑来，捉住了他，解送到公议会。
6:13 他们并设下假见证，说：「这人不断地说反对圣地和法律的话，
6:14 因为我们曾听见他说：这个纳匝肋人耶稣要毁灭这个地方，并要改革梅瑟给我们传下的常例。」
6:15 所有坐在公议会的人都注目看他，见他的面容好象天使的面容。
第七章(60)
斯德望在公议会的讲辞
7:1 大司祭遂问说：「真是这样吗﹖」
7:2 斯德望答说：「诸位仁人弟兄，诸位父老，请听！当我们的祖先亚巴郎还在美索不达米亚，还未住在哈兰以前，荣耀的天主曾显现给他，
7:3 向他说：『你要离开你的故乡和你的家族，往我所指示你的地方去！』
7:4 那时，他遂离开了加色丁人的地方，住在哈兰；他父亲死后，天主又叫他从那里迁移，来到你们现今所住的地方。
7:5 在此地天主并没有赐给他产业，连脚掌那么大的地方也没有给，却应许了把此地赐给他和他以后的子孙做产业，虽然当时他还没有儿子。
7:6 天主还这样说过：『他的子孙要侨居异地，人要奴役虐待他们，共四百年之久。』
7:7 天主还说：『我要惩治那奴役他们的异民。此后，他们要出来，要在这地方恭敬我。』
7:8 天主又赐给了他割损的盟约；这样，他生了依撒格后，第八天，给他行了割损礼。以后，依撒格生了雅各伯，雅各伯生了十二位宗祖。
7:9 宗祖们嫉妒若瑟，把他卖到埃及，天主却同他在一起，
7:10 救他脱离了一切磨难，并在埃及王法郎面前使他得宠，有智慧，法郎就派他总理埃及和王家事务。
7:11 后来在全埃及和客纳罕发生了饥馑和大难，我们的祖先找不到食物。
7:12 雅各伯听说在埃及有粮食，就打发了我们的祖先去，这是第一次。
7:13 第二次，若瑟被他的兄弟们认出来了。法郎也明悉了若瑟的亲族。
7:14 若瑟遂打发人请自己的父亲和所有同族前来，共计七十五人。
7:15 雅各伯下到了埃及，以后他和我们的祖先都死了；
7:16 后来他们被运到舍根，埋葬在亚巴郎用银价从哈摩尔的儿子在舍根所买的坟墓中。
7:17 天主向亚巴郎所应承的恩许的时期来近了，这民族在埃及就逐渐繁殖增多起来，
7:18 直到另一位不认识若瑟的君王起来统治埃及，
7:19 他就用计谋压迫我们的亲族，虐待我们的祖先，叫他们拋弃自己的婴孩，不容生存。
7:20 就在那时期梅瑟诞生了，他为天主所喜爱；在父亲家中养育了三个月。
7:21 他被拋弃后，法郎的女儿却将他拾去，当自己的儿子养育。
7:22 梅瑟学习了埃及人的各种智慧；他讲话辨事，都有才干。
7:23 当他满了四十岁的时候，他心中起了看望自己的弟兄──以色列子民的愿望。
7:24 他看见一个人受欺压，就加以卫护，为受欺负的人报仇，打死了那个埃及人。
7:25 他以为自己的弟兄明白天主要藉他的手拯救他们，但他们却不明白。
7:26 第二天，他看见他们打架，就劝他们和解说：同仁！你们原是弟兄，为什么彼此伤害呢﹖
7:27 那欺压近人的推开他说：谁立了你做我们的首领和判官﹖
7:28 难道你愿意杀死我，就像昨天你杀死了那埃及人一样吗﹖
7:29 梅瑟因这句话，便逃跑了，在米德杨地方作客，在那里生了两个儿子。
7:30 过了四十年，在西乃山的旷野里，有一位使者在荆棘丛火焰中显现给他。
7:31 梅瑟一见，就奇怪这异像；他正要前去观察，有上主的声音说：
7:32 『我是你祖先的天主，即亚巴郎、依撒格和雅各伯的天主。』梅瑟就战慄起来，不敢前去观察。
7:33 上主向他说：『将你脚上的鞋脱下！因为你站的地方是圣地。
7:34 我看见了我百姓在埃及的苦楚，也听见了他们的哀叹，遂下来拯救他们。现在你来，我要打发你到埃及去。』
7:35 这梅瑟就是他们曾否定说：『谁立了你做我们的首领和判官』的，天主却借着在荆棘中显现的使者的手，打发他做首领和救赎者。
7:36 就是他领了他们出来，在埃及，在红海，在旷野四十年之久，行了奇迹异事。
7:37 这人就是那给以色列子民说：『天主要从你们弟兄们中间，给你们兴起一位像我似的先知』的梅瑟。
7:38 就是他在旷野时，在会众中，立在西乃山给他说话的使者和我们的祖先之间，领受生命的话，传授给我们。
7:39 我们的祖先却不肯听从他，反而拒绝他；他们的心已转向埃及，
7:40 遂向亚郎说：『请给我们制造神像，在我们面前引路，因为领我们出埃及地的这位梅瑟，我们不知道他遭遇了什么事。』
7:41 他们就在那几天制造了一个牛犊，向那偶像奉献祭品，并因他们手中的作品而欢乐。
7:42 于是天主转过身去，任凭他们恭敬天上的军旅，就如在先知书上所载的：『以色列家！你们四十年在旷野中，何尝向我奉献过牺牲和祭品﹖
7:43 你们抬着摩肋客的帐幕和楞番神的星辰，为朝拜你们所制造的偶像。为此，我要把你们迁徙到巴比伦那边去。』
7:44 我们的祖先在旷野中有一个作证的帐幕，这帐幕就是天主吩咐梅瑟，按他所指示的式样制造的。
7:45 我们的祖先相继承受了它；当天主把异民从我们祖先的面前赶走之后，他们便同若苏厄将此帐幕运到继承为业之地，直到达味的时日。
7:46 达味在天主面前获得了宠爱，就恳求要为雅各伯的天主寻找一个住所；
7:47 撒罗满便为天主建筑了殿宇。
7:48 但至高者本不住在人手所建造的殿宇中，正如先知说：
7:49 『天是我的宝座，地是我的脚凳。你们要为我建筑什么样的殿宇﹖──上主说──或者我安息的地方是怎样的呢﹖
7:50 这一切不是我的手所造的吗﹖』
7:51 执坳和心耳未受割损的人啊！你们时常反抗圣神，你们的祖先怎样，你们也怎样。
7:52 那一位先知，你们的祖先没有迫害过﹖他们杀害了那些预言义人来临的人，现在你们都成了那义人的出卖者和凶手。
7:53 你们这些人接受了藉天使所传布的法律，却不遵守。」
斯德望死于乱石
7:54 他们一听这些话，怒从心起，向他咬牙切齿。
7:55 斯德望却充满了圣神，注目向天，看见天主的光荣，并看见耶稣站在天主右边，
7:56 遂说道：「看，我见天开了，并见人子站在天主右边。」
7:57 他们都大声乱嚷，掩着自己的耳朵一致向他扑去，
7:58 把他拉出城外，用石头砸死了。证人脱下自己的衣服放在名叫扫禄的青年人脚前。
7:59 当他们用石头砸斯德望的时候，他祈求说：「主耶稣！接我的灵魂去罢！」
7:60 遂屈膝跪下，大声呼喊说：「主，不要向他们算这罪债！」说了这话，就死了。
第八章(40)
扫禄迫害教会
8:1 扫禄也赞同杀死他。就在那一日，发生了严厉迫害耶路撒冷教会的事；除宗徒外，众人都逃散到犹太和撒玛黎雅乡间。
8:2 虔诚的人共同埋葬了斯德望，也为他大哭了一场。
8:3 扫禄想摧毁教会，进入各家，连男带女都拉去，押到监里。
犹太与撒玛黎雅教会
斐理伯在撒玛黎雅传教
8:4 那些逃散的人经过各处，宣讲真道的喜讯。
8:5 斐理伯下到撒玛黎雅城，给他们宣讲基督。
8:6 群众都留意斐理伯所讲的话，都同心合意地听教，并看到了他所行的奇迹。
8:7 因为有许多附了邪魔的人，邪魔从他们身上大声喊叫着出去了。有许多瘫痪和瘸子也被治好了。
8:8 为此，那城里的人皆大欢喜。
西满术士
8:9 有一个人，名叫西满，曾在这城中行过邪术，使撒玛黎雅的百姓惊服，并称自己是一位大人物。
8:10 所有的人，从上到下，都听从他，说：「这人就是那称为神的大能者。」
8:11 他们听从他，是因为他很久以来，就用邪术使他们惊服；
8:12 但当他们信服了那传报天主的国，和耶稣基督名字的斐理伯时，男女就都受了洗，
8:13 连西满自己也信服了。他受洗以后，常随从斐理伯；他看到所显的奇迹和大能，称奇不止。
伯多禄与若望视察撒玛黎雅
8:14 当时，在耶路撒冷的宗徒，听说撒玛黎雅接受了天主的圣道，便打发伯多禄和若望往他们那里去。
8:15 他们二人一到，就为他们祈祷，使他们领受圣神，
8:16 因为圣神还没有降临在任何人身上，他们只因主耶稣的名受过洗。
8:17 那时，宗徒便给他们覆手，他们就领受了圣神。
8:18 西满看见藉宗徒们的覆手，赋给人圣神，遂献给他们银钱，
8:19 说：「你们也把这个权柄交给我，为叫我无论给谁覆手，谁就领受圣神。」
8:20 伯多禄却向他说：「愿你的银钱与你一起丧亡！因为你想天主的恩赐可用银钱买得。
8:21 在这事上，你没有股，也没有分，因为你在天主前心怀不正。
8:22 所以，你该回心转意，摆脱你这个恶念，祈求主，或者可给你赦免你心中的妄想，
8:23 因为我明知你心怀苦毒，并在邪恶的束缚中。」
8:24 西满回答说：「请你们为我祈求主，好叫你们所说的，一点也不要降在我身上。」
8:25 二宗徒既作了证，并宣讲了主的圣道，就返回耶路撒冷，一路在撒玛黎雅人的许多乡村中，宣讲了福音。
厄提约丕雅的太监受洗
8:26 上主的使者向斐理伯说：「起来，往南行，沿着由耶路撒冷下到迦萨的路走，即旷野中的那条路。」
8:27 他就起来去了。看，有个厄提约丕雅人，是厄提约丕雅女王甘达刻的有权势的太监，也是她宝库的总管；他曾来到耶路撒冷朝圣。
8:28 他回去的时候，坐在车上诵读依撒意亚先知。
8:29 圣神就向斐理伯说：「你上前去，走近这辆车子！」
8:30 斐理伯就跑过去，听见他诵读依撒意亚先知，便说道：「你明白所诵读的吗﹖」
8:31 他答说：「若没有人指教我，怎么能够﹖」于是，请斐理伯上车与他同坐。
8:32 他所诵读的那段经正是：『他如同被牵去宰杀的羊，又像羔羊在剪毛者前缄默，他也同样不开口。
8:33 在他屈辱之时，无人为他申辩。谁能描述他的后代呢﹖因为他的生命从地上被夺去了。』
8:34 太监向斐理伯发言说：「请你说：先知说这话是指谁呢﹖是指自己或是指别人﹖」
8:35 斐理伯便开口，从这段经文开始，给他宣讲了耶稣的福音。
8:36 他们沿路前行的时候，来到了一个有水的地方，那太监就说：「看，这里有水；还有什么阻挡我受洗呢﹖」
8:37 [斐理伯答说：「你若全心相信，便可以。」他答说：「我信耶稣基督就是天主子。」]
8:38 他就命车停住，斐理伯和太监两人下到水中，斐理伯给他付了洗。
8:39 当他们从水中上来的时候，主的神把斐理伯提去，太监就再看不见他了。他就喜喜欢欢地往前行自己的路。
8:40 斐理伯却出现在阿左托，以后经过各城，宣讲福音，直到凯撒勒雅。
犹太与撒玛黎雅教会
第九章(43)
扫禄归化
9:1 扫禄还是向主的门徒口吐恐吓和凶杀之气，遂去见大司祭，
9:2 求他发文书给大马士革各会堂，凡他搜出的这道门的人，不拘男女，都绑起来，解送到耶路撒冷。
9:3 当他前行，快要临近大马士革的时候，忽然从天上有一道光，环射到他身上。
9:4 他便跌倒在地，听见有声音向他说：「扫禄，扫禄，你为什么迫害我﹖」
9:5 他答说：「主!你是谁﹖」主说：「我就是你所迫害的耶稣。
9:6 但是，你起来进城去，必有人告诉你当作什么。」
9:7 陪他同行的人站在那里，说不出话来；只听见声音，却看不见什么人。
9:8 扫禄从地上起来，睁开他的眼，什么也看不见了。人们牵着他的手，领他进了大马士革。
9:9 三天的工夫看不见，也不吃，也不喝。
9:10 在大马士革有个门徒，名叫阿纳尼雅，主在异像中向他说：「阿纳尼雅！」他答说：「主，我在这里。」
9:11 主向他说：「起来，往那条名叫「直街」的地方去，要在犹大家里找一个名叫扫禄的塔尔索人；看，他正在祈祷。」──
9:12 扫禄此时在异像中看见一个名叫阿纳尼雅的人进来给自己覆手，使他复明──
9:13 阿纳尼雅却答说：「关于这个人，我听许多人说：他在耶路撒冷对你的圣徒作了许多坏事；
9:14 他在这里也有从大司祭取得的权柄，要捆绑一切呼号你名字的人。」
9:15 主却向他说：「你去罢！因为这人是我所拣选的器皿，为把我的名字带到外邦人、国王和以色列子民前，
9:16 因为我要指示他，为我的名字该受多么大的苦。」
9:17 阿纳尼雅就去了，进了那一家，给他覆手说：「扫禄兄弟！在你来的路上，发显给你的主耶稣打发我来，叫你看见，叫你充满圣神。」
9:18 立刻有像鳞甲一样的东西，从他的眼中掉了下来，他便看见了，遂起来领了洗。
9:19 进食以后，就有了力量。
在大马士革讲道
9:他同大马士革的门徒住了几天之后，
9:20 即刻在各会堂中宣讲耶稣，说他是天主子。
9:21 凡听见的人都奇怪说：「这不是那在耶路撒冷消灭呼求这名字的人吗﹖他不是为这事来这里，要捆绑他们，解送到大司祭前吗﹖」
9:22 扫禄却更强而有力了，使侨居在大马士革的犹太人惊惶失措，因为他指证耶稣就是默西亚。
9:23 过了一些时日，犹太人就共同商议要杀害他。
9:24 他们的计谋却为扫禄知道了。犹太人便日夜把守城门，要杀害他。
9:25 但他的门徒把他带去，夜间用篮子将他从城墙上缒了下去。
上耶路撒冷后去塔尔索
9:26 扫禄来到耶路撒冷，设法与门徒们交结；众人都怕他，不信他是门徒。
9:27 巴尔纳伯却接待了他，引他去见宗徒，并给他们讲述扫禄在路上怎样看见了主，主怎样给他说了话；他又怎样在大马士革因耶稣的名字勇敢讲道。
9:28 扫禄遂在耶路撒冷同他们来往，也因主的名字勇敢讲道；
9:29 并且同希腊化的犹太人谈论辩道，他们就打算杀害他。
9:30 兄弟们一知道这事，就领他下到凯撒勒雅，以后打发他到塔尔索去了。
伯多禄在里达治好瘫子
9:31 教会既在全犹太、加里肋亚和撒玛黎雅得了平安，遂建立起来，怀着敬畏上主之情行动，并因着圣神的鼓励，逐渐发展。
9:32 当伯多禄巡视各处时，也到了居住在里达的圣徒那里。
9:33 在那里遇见了一个人，名叫艾乃阿，患瘫痪病，躺在床上已有八年。
9:34 伯多禄向他说：「艾乃阿！耶稣基督治好你了；起来，整理你的床褥罢！」他即刻起来了。
9:35 凡住在里达和沙龙的人，见了他，就都归依了主。
在约培复活死人
9:36 在约培有个女门徒，名叫塔彼达，希腊文叫作多尔卡，她多行善事，广施赒济，
9:37 就在那几天病死了；人把她洗涤后，停在楼上。
9:38 里达因临近约培，门徒们听说伯多禄在那里，就打发两个人到他那里去，请求说：「你不可再迟延到我们那里去了。」
9:39 伯多禄就动身同他们去了；他一来到，他们领他上了楼；所有的寡妇都来到他前，哭着把多尔卡同她们在一起的时候所制的内外衣，指给他看。
9:40 伯多禄叫众人都退到外面以后，遂屈膝祈祷，转身向遗体说：「塔彼达，起来！」她便睁开眼，看见了伯多禄，就坐了起来。
9:41 伯多禄伸手扶她起来；随后，叫圣徒和寡妇们进来，叫他们看她已活了。
9:42 这事传遍了全约培，就有许多人信了主。
9:43 以后，伯多禄在约培一个皮匠西满家里，住了一些日子。
第十章(48)
科尔乃略派人访寻伯多禄
10:1 在凯撒勒雅有一个人，名叫科尔乃略，是所谓意大利营的百夫长。
10:2 他同他的全家，是虔诚而敬畏天主的人，对百姓慷慨好施，又常向天主祈祷。
10:3 有一天，大约第九时辰，他在异像中，清楚看见天主的一位天使进来，到他跟前向他说：「科尔乃略！」
10:4 他注目看天使，就惊惶害怕说：「主，有什么事﹖」天使回答说：「你的祈祷和施舍已升到天主面前，获得纪念。
10:5 你现在打发人往约培去，请号称伯多禄的一位西满来。
10:6 这人客居在一个名叫西满的皮匠家里，他的房子靠着海。」
10:7 向他说话的天使一走，他便叫来了两个家仆和常护卫自己的一个虔诚兵士，
10:8 把一切事告诉了他们，就打发他们往约培去了。
伯多禄在约培得见异像
10:9 第二天，他们行路将近城的时候，约在第六个时辰，伯多禄上了屋顶祈祷。
10:10 他那时饿了，愿意进食；正在人预备饭的时候，他就神魂超拔了。
10:11 他看见天井了，降下一个器皿，好象一块大布，系着四角，坠到地上，
10:12 里面有各种四足兽、地上的爬虫和天空的飞鸟。
10:13 有声音向他说：「伯多禄！起来，宰了，吃罢!」
10:14 伯多禄却答说：「主，绝对不可！因为我从来没有吃过一样污秽和不洁之物。」
10:15 声音第二次又向他说：「天主称为洁净的，你不可称为污秽！」
10:16 这事一连发生了三次，那器皿随即撤回天上去了。
赴凯撒勒雅
10:17 伯多禄正在猜想他所见的异像有什么意思的时候，看，科尔乃略打发来的人，已查问到西满的家，站在门前。
10:18 他们喊着询问：号称伯多禄的西满是否住在这里。
10:19 伯多禄还在沉思那异像时，圣神说：「看，有三个人找你。
10:20 起来，下去，同他们一起去罢!不要疑惑，因为是我打发他们来的。」
10:21 伯多禄下来向那些人说：「看，我就是你们所找的人。你们来这里做什么﹖」
10:22 他们答说：「科尔乃略百夫长是个正义和敬畏天主的人，也受全犹太人民的称誉；他蒙圣天使指示，请你到他家去，听你讲道。」
10:23 伯多禄于是请他们进来住下，第二天起来，便同他们一齐去了；还有几个约培的兄弟陪着他。
10:24 次日，他到了凯撒勒雅。
与科尔乃略相见
10:那时，科尔乃略召集了自己的亲戚和密友，等候他们来。
10:25 当伯多禄进来的时候，科尔乃略去迎接他，跪伏在他脚前叩拜。
10:26 伯多禄拉他起来说：「起来！我自己也是个人。」
10:27 就同他谈着话进去了，看见有许多人聚集在那里，
10:28 便对他们说：「你们都知道犹太人是不准同外邦人交接来往的；但是，天主指示给我，没有一个可说是污秽或不洁的人。
10:29 为此，我一被请，毫不犹豫地就来了。请问：你们请我来是为什么原故﹖」
10:30 科尔乃略说：「从此时起，四天以前，第九时辰，我在我房中祈祷时，忽然有位穿华丽衣服的人站在我前，
10:31 说：科尔乃略，你的祈祷蒙了垂允，你的施舍在天主前得到记念。
10:32 所以，你要打发人往约培去，叫号称伯多禄的西满来，他客居在靠近海的皮匠西满家里。
10:33 我就立刻打发人到你那里去了。你来的真好！现今我们众人都在天主前，要听主所吩咐你的一切。」
伯多禄的讲辞
10:34 伯多禄遂开口说：「我真正明白了：天主是不看情面的，
10:35 凡在各民族中，敬畏他而又履行正义的人，都是他所中悦的。
10:36 他借耶稣基督──他原是万民的主──宣讲了和平的喜讯，把这道先传给以色列子民。
10:37 你们都知道：在若翰宣讲洗礼以后，从加里勒亚开始，在全犹太所发生的事：
10:38 天主怎样以圣神和德能傅了纳匝肋的耶稣，使他巡行各处，施恩行善，治好一切受魔鬼压制的人，因为天主同他在一起。
10:39 我们就是他在犹太人地域和耶路撒冷所行一切的见证人。他们却把他悬在木架上，杀死了。
10:40 第三天，天主使他复活了，叫他显现出来，
10:41 不是给所有的百姓，而是给天主所预拣的见证人，就是给我们这些在他从死者中复活后，与他同食共饮的人。
10:42 他吩咐我们向百姓讲道，指证他就是天主所立的生者与死者的判官。
10:43 一切先知都为他作证：凡信他的人，赖他的名字都要获得罪赦。」
科尔乃略等人受洗
10:44 伯多禄还在讲这些话的时候，圣神降在所有听道的人身上。
10:45 那些受过割损与伯多禄同来的信徒，都惊讶圣神的恩惠也倾注在外邦人身上，
10:46 因为听见他们说各种语言，并颂扬天主。那时，伯多禄就发言说：
10:47 「这些人既领受了圣神，和我们一样，谁能阻止他们不受水洗呢﹖」
10:48 遂吩咐人以耶稣基督的名给他们付洗。以后，他们求伯多禄再住了几天。
第十一章(30)
伯多禄在耶路撒冷为己辩护
11:1 宗徒和在犹太的弟兄听说了，连外邦人也接受了天主的圣道。
11:2 及至伯多禄上到耶路撒冷，那些受割损的人非难他
11:3 说：「你竟进了未受割损人的家，且同他们吃了饭！」
11:4 伯多禄便开始按次解释说：「
11:5 我在约培城祈祷的时候，在神魂超拔中见了一个异像：由天上降下一个器皿，好象一块大布，系着四角，从天缒下，一直来到我面前。
11:6 我往里面定睛细看，见有地上的四足兽、野兽、爬虫和天空的飞鸟。
11:7 我也听到有声音向我说：伯多禄！起来，宰了，吃罢!
11:8 我却答说：主，绝对不可！因为污秽和不洁之物总没有进过我的口。
11:9 第二次有声音从天上答道：天主称为洁净的，你不可称为污秽!
11:10 这事竟一连发生了三次。以后，那一切又撤回天上去了。
11:11 正在那时，忽有三个人，来到我们所住的家门前，他们是从凯撒勒雅被派来见我的。
11:12 圣神吩咐我应与他们同去，不必疑惑。同我一起去的，还有这六个弟兄，我们就进了那人的家。
11:13 那人告诉了我们：他怎样看见天使站在他的屋内，说：你要打发人到约培去，邀请号称伯多禄的西满来。
11:14 他有话对你讲，使你和你全家得救。
11:15 以后，在我开始讲话时，圣神就降在他们身上，有如当初降在我们身上一样。
11:16 我就想起了主所说的话：若翰固然用水施了洗，但你们却要因圣神受洗。
11:17 所以，如果天主赐给了他们同样的恩惠，如同给我们信主耶稣基督的人一样，我是什么人，能阻止天主呢﹖」
安提约基雅教会
福音传于安提约基雅
11:19 在斯德望受害时，那些由于窘难而四散的人，经过各地，来到了腓尼基、塞浦路斯和安提约基雅，他们只向犹太人讲道。
11:20 但其中有些塞浦路斯和基勒乃人到了安提约基雅，也向希腊人讲道，宣传主耶稣的福音。
11:21 主的手同他们在一起，信而归主的人，数目很多。
11:巴尔纳伯与保禄在安提约基雅
11:22 这事传到了耶路撒冷教会的耳中，就打发巴尔纳伯到安提约基雅去。
11:23 他一来到，看见天主所赐的恩惠就很喜欢，并劝勉众人要决心坚定于主。
11:24 因为他是好人，充满圣神和信德，如此有许多人归附了主。
11:25 以后，他往塔尔索去找扫禄；
11:26 找着以后，便领他回到安提约基雅。他们一整年在那教会中共同工作，教导了许多人；在安提约基雅最先称门徒为「基督徒」。
信徒相爱的表现
11:27 在那时候，有些先知从耶路撒冷下到安提约基雅。
11:28 其中一个名叫阿加波的，因神示起来预言在普世上将有大饥荒，这饥荒就在喀劳狄时发生了。
11:29 门徒遂决定，每人按力捐献，把救济物资送给住在犹太的弟兄。
11:30 他们都照辨了，由巴尔纳伯和扫禄经手，送到长老那里。
安提约基雅教会
第十二章(25)
雅各伯殉难
12:1 在那个时期，黑落德王已下手磨难教会中的一些人，
12:2 用剑杀了若望的哥哥雅各伯。
天使救伯多禄出狱
12:3 他一看到犹太人喜欢，便命人连伯多禄也加以拘捕，时正值无酵节日；
12:4 把他拿住以后，就押在监狱中，交由四班兵士──每班四人──看守，愿意在逾越节后，给百姓提出来。
12:5 伯多禄就被看管在监狱中，而教会恳切为他向天主祈祷。
12:6 及至黑落德将要提出他的时候，那一夜伯多禄被两道锁链缚着，睡在两个士兵中，门前还有卫兵把守监狱。
12:7 忽然，主的一位天使显现，有一道光，照亮了房间，天使拍着伯多禄的肋膀，唤醒他说：「快快起来！」锁链遂从他手上落下来。
12:8 天使向他说：「束上腰，穿上你的鞋！」他都照办了。天使吩咐他说：「披上你的外氅，跟我来罢！」
12:9 他就出来跟着走，还不知道天使所行的是实在的事，只想是见了异像。
12:10 他们经过第一道岗，又第二道，来到通到城的铁门前，铁门就自动地给他们开了；他们便出去，往前走了一条街，忽然天使离开他，不见了。1
12:11 伯多禄这才清醒过来，说：「现今我实在知道主派了他的天使来，救我脱免黑落德的手和犹太人民所希望的事。」
12:12 他既明白过来，就往若望──号称马尔谷──的母亲玛利亚的家去，在那里有好些人聚集祈祷。
12:13 他敲大门的时候，有一个名叫洛德的使女过来听。
12:14 她一认出是伯多禄的声音，喜的没有开门，就跑进去报告说：伯多禄站在大门前。
12:15 他们都对她说：「你疯了！」她却坚持说：实在是这样。他们反说：「是他的天使。」
12:16 伯多禄还不住的敲门；他们一开门，看见是他，都惊呆了。
12:17 伯多禄摆手叫他们不要作声，遂给他们述说上主怎样领他出了监狱，且说：「你们要把这些事报告给雅各伯和弟兄们。」他便出去，往别的地方去了。
12:18 天一亮，在士兵中，起了不小的骚乱，不知伯多禄出了什么事。
12:19 黑落德遂搜寻他，搜寻不到，就审讯卫兵，下令把他们处决了。
黑落德的惨死
12:以后，黑落德从犹太下到凯撒勒雅，住在那里。
12:20 那时，黑落德向提洛和漆冬发了大怒；二城的人商量好，来见他，并贿赂了管王卧房的布拉斯托去求和，因为他们那一方当由君王这里获得食粮。
12:21 黑落德在约定的日子，披戴君王的礼服，坐在宝座上向他们演讲。
12:22 人民便呼喊说：「这不是人的声音，而是神的声音。」
12:23 立刻有上主的天使打击了他，因为他没有归光荣于天主。他为虫子所吃，遂断了气。
12:24 天主的道却逐渐发扬广大。
12:25 巴尔纳伯和扫禄完成了任务，就带着号称马尔谷的若望从耶路撒冷回去了。
后编 保禄事录
保禄初次出外传教
第十三章(52)
巴尔纳伯与保禄奉命出发传教
13:1 在安提约基雅教会中，有一些先知和教师，其中有巴尔纳伯和号称尼革尔的西满，有基勒乃人路基约，和与分封侯黑落德同乳的玛纳恒，还有扫禄。
13:2 他们敬礼主和禁食的时候，圣神向他们说：「你们给我选拔出巴尔纳伯和扫禄来，去行我叫他们要行的工作。」
13:3 他们遂禁食祈祷，给他们覆了手，派他们走了。
在塞浦路斯岛传教
13:4 二人既被圣神派遣，遂下到色娄基雅，又从那里乘船往塞浦路斯。
13:5 他们来到撒拉米，就在犹太人的会堂中，宣讲天主的圣道；还有若望作助手。
13:6 他们走遍了全岛，直到帕佛，遇见一个犹太人，他是个术士，也是假先知，名叫巴尔耶稣，
13:7 他常同色尔爵保禄总督在一起；总督是个聪明人，他邀请了巴尔纳伯和扫禄来，想听天主的圣道；
13:8 但那术士厄吕玛──这是他的希腊译名──却反对他们，想法颠覆总督的信心。
13:9 扫禄，也即是保禄，充满了圣神，定睛望着他，
13:10 说：「你这满怀各种欺诈和各种奸恶的人，魔鬼的儿子，一切正义的仇敌，你还不停止颠覆天主的正道吗﹖
13:11 现今你看，上主的手要临于你，你要变成一个瞎子，看不见太阳，直到一个时期。」立刻昏黑和幽暗降在他身上，他就来回摸索，找寻领路的人。
13:12 那时，总督看见发生的事就信了，很惊讶主的道理。
由帕佛到丕息狄雅的安提约基雅
13:13 以后，保禄和同他一起的人，从帕佛乘船来到旁非里雅的培尔革；若望却离开他们，回了耶路撒冷。
13:14 他们由培尔革经过各处，到了丕息狄雅的安提约基雅；安息日他们进了会堂坐下。
13:15 在朗诵法律和先知之后，会堂长派人问他们说：「仁人弟兄，你们若有什么劝勉民众的话，请说罢！」
13:16 保禄就站起来，打手势说：
保禄在会堂讲道
13:「诸位以色列人和敬畏天主的人，请听!
13:17 以色列民族的天主，拣选了我们的祖先。当这百姓寄居埃及时，天主就举扬了他们，以大能的手臂从那里领他们出来。
13:18 大约四十年的工夫在旷野中容忍了他们。
13:19 灭了在客纳罕地方的七个民族以后，就把那地方分给他们作为基业，
13:20 约有四百五十年。此后，又给他们立了民长，直到撒慕尔先知时代。
13:21 从那时起，他们要求一位君王，天主就给他们立了本雅明族人克士的儿子撒乌耳，为王四十年；
13:22 把他撤职以后，给他们立了达味为君王，天主为他作证说：我找到了叶瑟的儿子达味，他是一个合我心意的人，他要履行我的一切旨意。
13:23 天主按照恩许，从他的后裔中给以色列兴起了一位救主耶稣。
13:24 若翰在他来临以前，先向全以色列民宣讲了悔改的洗礼。
13:25 及至若翰将完成自己的任务时，说道：我不是你们所猜想的那位，但是，看，他在我以后要来，我不配解他脚上的鞋。
13:26 诸位仁人弟兄，亚巴郎的子孙和你们敬畏天主的人!这救恩之道正是给我们赐下的，
13:27 因为耶路撒冷的居民和他们的首领不认识他，也不明白每安息日所诵读的先知的预言，就判决了他，而应验了这些预言。
13:28 他们本来找不到一条死罪，却要求比拉多处死了他。
13:29 论他所记载的都成就了以后，就把他从木架上卸下，放在坟墓里，
13:30 天主却使他从死者中复活起来，
13:31 他多日显现给同他一起，从加里肋亚往耶路撒冷去的人；这些人就是现今在百姓前给他作证的人。
13:32 我们现今也给你们报告喜讯：就是那向祖先所应许的恩许，
13:33 天主已给我们作他们子孙的完成了，叫耶稣复活了，就如在第二篇圣咏上所记载的：『你是我的儿子，我今日生了你。』
13:34 论到天主使他从死者中复活了，使他不再归于腐朽，曾这样说过：『我要赐给你们许与达味的圣善忠实。』
13:35 为此，又在另一处说：『你决不让你的圣者见到腐朽。』
13:36 达味固然在自己活着时，奉行了天主的旨意，但是他死了，也归到了自己祖先那里，且见到了腐朽；
13:37 但天主从死者中所复活的那位，却没有见到腐朽。
13:38 所以，诸位仁人弟兄，你们必须知道：就是借着这耶稣给你们宣布了赦罪之恩；凡在一切你们凭梅瑟法律不能成义的事上，
13:39 凭着他，凡信的人都可成义。
13:40 所以，你们要小心，不要叫先知书上说的话来到你们身上：
13:41 『藐视的人哪！你们要看，要惊讶，要消逝！因为在你们的日子，我作了一件事，即使有人告诉你们，你们也必不信那件事。』
13:42 他们出去的时候，众人要求下一个安息日再给他们讲这些事。
13:43 会众散去以后，有许多犹太人和归依犹太教的虔诚人，随从了保禄和巴尔纳伯，二人同他们谈话，劝他们务要坚持天主的恩宠。
外邦人信教
13:44 下一个安息日，全城的人几乎都聚集了来，要听天主的圣道。
13:45 犹太人一看见这么众多的人，就满心嫉妒，反对保禄所讲的，且加以辱骂。
13:46 保禄和巴尔纳伯却放胆地说：「天主的圣道本来先应讲给你们听，但因你们拒而不受，并断定自己不配得永生，看，我们就要转向外邦人，
13:47 因为主如此命我们说：『我已立你作为外邦人的光明，使你成为他们的救恩，直到地极。』
13:48 外邦人听了，都很喜欢，赞美主的圣道；那些被预定获得永生的人，就都信了。
13:49 主的圣道遂传遍了那地方。
13:50 犹太人却挑唆敬畏天主的尊贵妇人和城中的要人，发动迫害保禄和巴尔纳伯，把他们驱逐出境。
13:51 二人就把脚上的尘土向他们拂下，往依科尼雍去了。
13:52 门徒都充满喜乐和圣神。
第十四章(28)
在依科尼雍
14:1 他们在依科尼雍，还是照样进犹太人的会堂讲道，以致有很多犹太人和希腊人信从了。
14:2 那些固执不信的犹太人，却挑拨并刺激外邦人的心，来相反弟兄们。
14:3 他们在那里逗留了一些日子，依赖主放心大胆地讲道。主为证明他们所宣讲的恩宠的话是真实的，借他们的手显了征兆和奇迹。
14:4 城中的群众就分裂了：有的支持犹太人，有的支持宗徒。
14:5 当外邦人和犹太人连同他们的官长蓄意侮辱他们，和用石头砸死他们的时候，
14:6 他们一听说，就逃往吕考尼雅的吕斯特辣、德尔贝两座城和周围的地方去了，
14:7 在那里传扬福音。
14:在吕斯特辣治好跛子
14:8 在吕斯特辣有一个人，患软脚病，常坐着，由母胎中即是跛子，总没有行走过。
14:9 这人听保禄讲道；保禄注目看他，见他有信心，可得痊愈，
14:10 便大声说道：「直直地站起来！」这人遂跳起来行走。
外教人的狂热
14:11 群众看见保禄所行的，就大声用吕考尼雅话说：「神取了人形，降到我们这里了!」
14:12 他们遂称巴尔纳伯为则乌斯，称保禄为赫尔默斯，因为它是主要发言人。
14:13 在城关的则乌斯的司祭，就带着公牛与花圈来到大门前，要同群众一起献祭。
14:14 巴尔纳伯和保禄宗徒听说这事，就撕裂了自己的衣服，跑到群众中，喊着，
14:15 说道：「人哪！你们这是作什么﹖我们也是人啊！与你们有同样的性情；我们只是给你们传扬福音，为叫你们离开这些虚无之物，归依生活的天主，是他创造了天地海洋和其中的一切。
14:16 他在过去的世代，容忍了万民各行其道；
14:17 但他并不是没有以善行为自己作证，他从天上给你们赐了雨和结实的季节，以食物和喜乐充满你们的心。」
14:18 说了这些话，才算阻住了群众，没有向他们献祭。
14:19 却有些犹太人，从安提约基雅和依科尼雍来，挑唆群众；群众用石头砸了保禄，以为他死了，就把他拉到城外。
14:20 但门徒们一围到他跟前，他就起来进了城，第二天同巴尔纳伯起身往德尔贝去了。
返回安提约基雅
14:21 他们向那城传扬福音，使许多人成为门徒，以后回到吕斯特辣、依科尼雍和安提约基雅，
14:22 到处坚固门徒的心，鼓励他们坚持信仰，说我们必须经过许多困难，才能进入天主的国。
14:23 二人在各教会给他们选立了长老，在祈祷禁食以后，把他们托付于他们所信仰的主。
14:24 以后，他们又经过丕息狄雅来到旁非里雅，
14:25 在培尔革宣讲道理以后，下到阿塔肋雅，
14:26 又从那里乘船赴安提约基雅。他们原来是从那里被托于天主的恩宠，作现在已完成的工作。
14:27 他们一到，就聚集会众，报告天主偕同他们所行的一切大事，和怎样给外邦人打开了信德的门。
14:28 二人就在那里同门徒们住了不少时日。
第十五章(41)
宗徒会议
15:1 有从犹太下来的几个人教训弟兄们说：「若是你们不按梅瑟的惯例行割损，不能得救。」
15:2 保禄和巴尔纳伯同他们起了不少的争执和辩论；大家就指定保禄和巴尔纳伯，与他们中的几个人，上耶路撒冷去见宗徒和长老，讨论这问题。
15:3 他们由教会送走之后，就路过腓尼基和撒玛黎雅，沿途叙述外邦人归化的事，使众弟兄非常喜欢。
15:4 他们到了耶路撒冷，为教会、宗徒和长老所欢迎，就报告了天主偕同他们所行的一切大事。
15:5 却有几个信教的法利塞党人起来说：「必须叫外邦人受割损，又应该命他们遵守梅瑟法律。」
15:6 宗徒和长老们就开会商讨此事。
15:7 辩论多时之后，伯多禄起来向他们说：「诸位仁人弟兄！你们深知，多时以前，天主就在你们中选定了，要借我的口，叫外邦人听福音的道理而信从。
15:8 洞察人心的天主，已为他们作了证，因为赐给了他们圣神，如同赐给了我们一样；
15:9 在我们和他们中间没有作任何区别，因他以信德净化了他们的心。
15:10 既然如此，现今你们为什么试探天主，在门徒的颈项上，放上连我们的祖先和我们自己都不能负荷的轭呢﹖
15:11 但是，我们信我们得救，是借着主耶稣的恩宠，正和他们一样。」
15:12 于是众人都缄默不语，静听巴尔纳伯和保禄述说天主借着他们在外邦人中，行了怎样大的征兆与奇迹。
雅各伯的演讲
15:13 大家都不出声之后，雅各伯接着说：「诸位仁人弟兄，请听我说!
15:14 西满述说了天主当初怎样关心外邦人，由他们中选拔一个百姓，属于自己名下；
15:15 先知的话也正与此相合，如经上记载：
15:16 『以后我要回来，重建达味已倾倒的居所；已坍塌了的，要把它重建而竖立起来，
15:17 为的是其余的人，即一切以我的名得名的民族，要寻求上主：
15:18 这是很久以前，公布这事的主说的。』
15:19 因此，按我的意见，不要再加给由外邦归依天主的人烦难，
15:20 只要函告他们戒避偶像的玷污和奸淫，戒食窒死之物和血。
15:21 因为自古以来，在各城内都有宣讲梅瑟的人，每安息日在会堂中诵读他的书。」
会议的谕文
15:22 当时，宗徒和长老同全教会决定，从他们中选几个人，派他们同保禄和巴尔纳伯去安提约基雅。所派的，有号称巴尔撒巴的犹达和息拉，是弟兄中的领导人物。
15:23 他们带去的信如下：「宗徒和长老弟兄们，给在安提约基雅、叙利亚和基里基雅由外邦归化的弟兄们请安。
15:24 我们听说有几个从我们这里去的，而并非我们所派去的人，讲话扰乱你们，混乱了你们的心。
15:25 我们取得同意后，决定拣选几个人，派他们同我们可爱的巴尔纳伯和保禄，到你们那里去。
15:26 此二人为了我们主耶稣基督的名，已付出了自己的性命。
15:27 我们派犹达和息拉去，他们要亲口报告同样的事。
15:28 因为圣神和我们决定，不再加给你们什么重担，除了这几项重要的事：
15:29 即戒食祭邪神之物、血和窒死之物，并戒避奸淫；若你们戒绝了这一切，那就好了。祝你们安好！」
15:30 他们去后，就下到安提约基雅，聚集了众人，递上公函。
15:31 人们读了，对这劝慰的话都十分欢喜。
15:32 犹达和息拉，因为他们也是先知，就讲了许多话，劝勉坚固弟兄们。
15:33 过了一些时候，弟兄们打发他们带着请安的话，回到派他们的人那里。
15:34 【但是息拉决意留在那里，只犹达一人回了耶路撒冷。】
15:35 保禄和巴尔纳伯却留在安提约基雅施教，同别的许多人宣讲主的道理。
保禄二次出外传教
保禄与巴尔纳伯分离
15:36 过了些日子，保禄向巴尔纳伯说：「我们要回去，视察我们曾讲过主道的各城，看看弟兄怎么样了。」
15:37 巴尔纳伯愿意也带号称马尔谷的若望同去，
15:38 但保禄认为不应带他去，因为他从旁非里雅离开他们，没有同他们一起去工作。
15:39 二人于是起了争执，以致彼此分离。巴尔纳伯遂带马尔谷，乘船往塞浦路斯去了。
15:40 保禄却拣选了息拉，蒙弟兄们将他托于主的恩宠以后，
15:41 也起身走了，他走遍了叙利亚和基里基雅，坚固各教会。
保禄二次出外传教
第十六章(40)
收弟茂德为徒
16:1 保禄来到了德尔贝和吕斯特辣。在那里有个门徒，名叫弟茂德，是一个信主的犹太妇人的儿子，父亲却是希腊人，
16:2 在吕斯特辣及依科尼雍的弟兄们都称扬他。
16:3 保禄愿意他随自己同去，为了那些地方的犹太人的缘故，带他去行了割损礼，因为众人都知道他的父亲是希腊人。
16:4 当他们经过各城时，就将宗徒和长老在耶路撒冷所议定的规条，交给他们遵守；
16:5 于是各处教会信德稳固，数目天天增加。
被召往马其顿
16:6 圣神既阻止他们在亚细亚讲道，他们就经过夫黎基雅和迦拉达地区，
16:7 到了米息雅附近，想往彼提尼雅去；可是耶稣的神不许他们去，
16:8 遂绕过米息雅，下到了特洛阿。
16:9 夜间保禄见了一个异象，有个马其顿人站着，请求他说：「请往马其顿去，援助我们罢！」
16:10 保禄既见了这异象，我们便推知是天主召叫我们给他们宣传福音，便立即设法往马其顿去。
在斐理伯
16:11 我们从特洛阿开船，一直航到撒摩辣刻，第二天到了乃阿颇里，
16:12 从那里到了斐理伯，这是马其顿一区的首城，罗马的殖民地。我们就在这城里住了几天。
16:13 安息日，我们出了城门，到了河边，我们知道那里有个祈祷所。我们遂坐下向聚集的妇女讲话。
16:14 有个敬畏天主的女人，名叫里狄雅，是提雅提辣城卖紫红布的，她一直在听；主开明了她的心，使她接受保禄所讲的话。
16:15 她同她一家领了洗，便请求说：「你们若认为我是忠于主的人，就请到我家去住。」遂强邀我们去了。
驱魔
16:16 当我们往祈祷所去时，有个附占卜之神的女孩，向我们迎面走来；她行占卜，使她的主人们大获利润。
16:17 她跟着保禄和我们，喊叫说：「这些人是至高者天主的仆人，他们来给你们宣布得救的道路。」
16:18 她这样行了多日，保禄就厌烦了，转身向那恶神说：「我因耶稣基督之名，命你从她身上出去。」那恶神即刻便出去了。
与息拉一同坐监
16:19 她的主人们见自己获利的指望已去，便揪住保禄和息拉，拉到街市上去见首领；
16:20 又带他们到官长前说：「这些是犹太人，他们扰乱我们的城市，
16:21 竟传布我们罗马人所不能接受，也不能遵行的规例。」
16:22 群众齐来攻击他们，官长就撕下了他们的衣服，下令用棍殴打。
16:23 打了许多棍之后，就把他们押在监里，吩咐狱警小心看守；
16:24 狱警领命，就把他们下在内监，又在他们的脚上带上木枷。
被释放的奇迹
16:25 约在半夜时分，保禄和息拉祈祷赞颂天主，囚犯都侧耳静听。
16:26 忽然地震大作，甚至监狱地基都摇动了，所有的门立时开了，众人的锁链也解开了。
16:27 狱警醒来，见监门全开着，以为囚犯都已逃走，就拔出剑来，想要自杀。
16:28 保禄大声喊说：「不要伤害自己，我们还都在这里。」
16:29 狱警要来了灯，就跑进去，战慄发抖地俯伏在保禄和息拉面前，
16:30 然后领他们出来说：「先生，我当作什么才可得救﹖」
16:31 他们说：「你信主耶稣罢！你和你一家就必得救。」
16:32 他们就给他和他家所有的人，讲了主的圣道。
16:33 当夜在那时刻，狱警就带他们去洗伤，他和他的亲人也都领了洗；
16:34 遂又领他们到自己家里，摆了宴席；他和全家因信了天主，都满心喜欢。
16:35 到了天亮，官长打发侍卫来说：「释放那些人！」
16:36 狱警就将这话报告给保禄说：「官长打发人来释放你们，所以现在你们出来，平安去罢！」
16:37 可是保禄向他们说：「我们是罗马人，还没有定罪，就公开鞭打我们，又把我们下在监里；现在却要秘密地赶我们出去吗﹖绝对不可！他们得亲自来领我们出去！」
16:38 侍卫就把这话报告给官长，官长一听他们是罗马人，就害怕起来，
16:39 遂来向他们说好话，领出后，请求他们离开那城。
16:40 二人出了监狱，就进了里狄雅的家，会见了弟兄们，鼓励一番后，便起程走了。
第十七章(34)
在得撒洛尼传教
17:1 保禄和息拉经过安非颇里和阿颇罗尼亚，来到得撒洛尼，在那里有犹太人的会堂。
17:2 保禄照常例，到他们那里，一连三个安息日，根据圣经和他们辩论，
17:3 阐明指出默西亚必须受难，并从死者中复活；且说：「我向你们所传报的耶稣，就是默西亚。」
17:4 他们中有些人信服了，便与保禄和息拉联合，还有许多敬畏天主的人和希腊人，以及不少的显贵妇女。
17:5 但是，犹太人却起了嫉妒的心，聚集了一些市井败类，结伙成群，扰乱城市；又闯进雅松家里，搜寻保禄和息拉，要拉他们到民众那里。
17:6 但没有搜到，就把雅松和几个弟兄，拉到本城官长前，吶喊说：「这些扰乱天下的人，也到这里来了，
17:7 雅松竟收留了他们；这些人都背叛凯撒谕令行事，说另有一位国王，就是耶稣。」
17:8 他们使群众和本城官长们听了这事，都惶惶不安。
17:9 本城官长便由雅松及其余的人取了保状，便将他们释放了。
至贝洛雅
17:10 弟兄们便立即在夜间打发保禄和息拉去贝洛雅；他们到了那里，就进了犹太人的会堂。
17:11 这里的人比得撒洛尼人开明，接受这道，极其热切，天天考究圣经，看这些事是否是真的。
17:12 所以他们中有许多人信从了，还有许多希腊尊贵妇女，男子也不少。
17:13 可是，得撒洛尼的犹太人，一知道保禄在贝洛雅也传开了天主的圣道，就到那里煽动扰乱群众。
17:14 弟兄们遂立即打发保禄往海边去；息拉和弟茂德仍留在贝洛雅。
来到雅典
17:15 送保禄的人领他一直到了雅典；他们领了保禄的命令，叫息拉和弟茂德赶快来到他那里，以后就走了。
17:16 保禄在雅典等候他们时，见城里满是偶像，心神很是悲愤。
17:17 所以他就在会堂里，同犹太人和敬畏天主的人辩论，每天也在街市上，同所遇到的人辩论。
17:18 有几个伊壁鸩鲁派和斯多噶派的哲士同他争论，有的说：「这个饶舌多言的人想说什么﹖」有的说：「看来他是个外国鬼神的宣传者」──因为保禄宣讲耶稣及复活的福音。
17:19 他门遂带保禄，领他到了阿勒约帕哥，说：「我们可以知道你所讲的这新道理是什么吗﹖
17:20 我们听见你说了一些新奇的事，所以我们想知道这到底有什么意思。」
17:21 原来所有的雅典人和侨居在那里的外国人，不管其它的事，只是论谈或探听一些新奇的事。
在阿勒约帕哥讲道
17:22 保禄遂即站在阿勒约帕哥当中说：「众位雅典人，我看你们在各方面都更敬畏神明，
17:23 因为我行经各处，细看你们所敬之物，也见到一座祭坛，上面写着「给未识之神。」现在，我就将你们所敬拜而不认识的这位，传告给你们。
17:24 创造宇宙及其中万物的天主，既是天地的主宰，就不住人手所建的殿宇，
17:25 也不受人手的侍候，好象需要什么似的，而是他将生命、呼吸和一切赏给了众人。
17:26 他由一个人造了全人类，使他们住在全地面上，给他们立定了年限，和他们所居处的疆界；
17:27 如他们寻求天主，或者可以摸索而找到他；其实，他离我们每人并不远，
17:28 因为我们生活、行动、存在，都在他内，正如你们的某些诗人说的：「原来我们也是他的子孙。」
17:29 我们既是天主的子孙，就不该想：神就像由人的艺术及思想所制的金银石刻的东西一样。
17:30 天主对那愚昧无知的时代，原不深究；如今却传谕各处的人都要悔改，
17:31 因为他已定了一个日期，要由他所立定的人，按正义审判天下，他为给众人一个可信的凭据，就叫这人从死者中复活了。」
17:32 他们一听见死人复活，有的讥笑，有的却说：「关于这事，我们后来再听你罢！」
17:33 这样，保禄便从他们当中出去了。
17:34 可是，也有几个人依附保禄而信从了，其中有阿勒约帕哥的官员狄约尼削，和一个名叫达玛黎的妇人；同他们一起信从的，还有其它一些人。
第十八章(28)
在格林多归化多人
18:1 此后，保禄就离开雅典，来到了格林多。
18:2 在那里遇见了一个犹太人，名叫阿桂拉，原藉本都，他同妻子普黎史拉最近从意大利来，因为喀劳狄曾命所有的犹太人都离开罗马。保禄就投到他们那里，
18:3 因为是同业，保禄便留在他们那里工作；原来他们是以制造帐幕为业的。
18:4 每逢安息日，保禄就在会堂里辩论，劝化犹太人和希腊人。
18:5 及至息拉和弟茂德从马其顿来到后，保禄就专心传道，向犹太人证明耶稣就是默西亚。
18:6 可是，因为他们反对，而且说亵渎的话，保禄就拂拭衣服向他们说：「你们的血归到你们头上，与我无干，从今以后，我要到外邦人那里去了。」
18:7 于是离开那里，进了一个名叫弟铎犹斯托的家里，这人敬畏天主，他的家紧靠着会堂。
18:8 会堂长克黎斯颇和他的全家都信了主，还有许多格林多人听了道而相信，也领了洗。
18:9 夜间，主藉异象对保禄说：「不要害怕，只管讲，不要缄默，
18:10 因为有我与你同在，必没有人向你下手加害你，因为在这城里有许多百姓是属于我的。」
18:11 于是，他就在那里住了一年零六个月，在他们中讲授天主的圣道。
受人诬陷
18:12 当加里雍作阿哈雅总督时，犹太人同心合意地起来攻击保禄，把他带到法庭
18:13 说：「这个人劝人违法敬拜天主。」
18:14 保禄刚要开口，加里雍就向犹太人说：「犹太人啊！如果有什么犯法或邪恶的罪行，我自当容忍你们；
18:15 但问题既是关于道理、名目和你们自己的法律的事，你们自己管罢，我不愿作这些事的判官。」
18:16 就把他们逐出了法庭。
18:17 于是众希腊人拉住会堂长索斯特乃，在法庭前打了他；而加里雍全不理睬这些事。
返回安提约基雅
18:18 保禄又住了些日子，就与弟兄们辞别，乘船往叙利亚去；和他一起的，有普黎史拉和阿桂拉，因为保禄许有誓愿，在耕格勒剃了头发。
18:19 到了厄弗所，保禄便把他们留在那里，自己进了会堂，同犹太人辩论。
18:20 众人求他多住些时候，他没有应允，
18:21 却辞别他们说：「若是天主愿意，我还要回到你们这里来。」遂从厄弗所开船走了。
18:22 在凯撒勒雅下船，就上耶路撒冷问候教会，然后下到安提约基雅。
保禄三次出外传教
巡视各教会
18:23 保禄住了一个时期，又出发，挨次经过迦拉达区和夫黎基雅，坚固众位门徒。
阿颇罗的功绩
18:24 有一个在亚历山大里亚出生的犹太人，名叫阿颇罗，是个有口才的人，长于圣经，他到了厄弗所。
18:25 这人学过主的道理，讲论耶稣的事，心神热烈，教训人也很详实，却只知若翰的洗礼。
18:26 这人开始在会堂里放胆讲论。普黎史拉和阿桂拉听了他的讲论，就把他接来，给他更详实地讲解了天主的道理。
18:27 阿颇罗有意往阿哈雅去，弟兄们都鼓励他，并且给门徒写信，叫他们接待他；他到了那里，依赖恩宠，给了信友们很多的贡献，
18:28 因为他经常有力地当众驳倒犹太人，用圣经指明耶稣就是默西亚。
保禄三次出外传教
第十九章(40)
保禄在厄弗所
19:1 阿颇罗在格林多的时候，保禄走遍了高原地带后，来到厄弗所，遇见了几个门徒，
19:2 向他们说：「你们信教的时候，领了圣神没有﹖」他们回答说：「连有圣神，我们都没有听过。」
19:3 保禄说：「那么，你们受的是什么洗，」他们说：「是若翰的洗」
19:4 保禄说：「若翰受的是悔改的洗，他告诉百姓要信在他以后要来的那一位，就是要信耶稣。」
19:5 他们听了，就因主耶稣之名领了洗。
19:6 保禄给他们覆手，圣神便降在他们身上，他们就讲各种语言，也说先知话。
19:7 他们一共约有十二人。
19:8 保禄进了会堂，放胆讲论，一连三个月，辩论天主之国的事，来劝化人。
19:9 但有些人心硬不信，在大众面前辱骂圣道，保禄便离开他们，把门徒分别出来，每天在提郎诺的学校里辩论；
19:10 这事进行了两年，以致凡住在亚细亚的人，都听见了主的道理，犹太人希腊人都有。
19:11 天主借保禄的手，行了一些非常的奇事，
19:12 甚至有人拿去他身上的手巾和围裙，放在病人身上，疾病便离开他们，恶魔也出去了。
驱魔的犹太人受罚
19:13 那时，有几个周游的犹太驱魔者，擅自向附有恶魔的人，呼号主耶稣的名，说：「我因保禄所宣讲的耶稣，命你们出去!」
19:14 有个犹太司祭长，名叫斯盖瓦，他的七个儿子都作这事。
19:15 恶魔回答他们说：「耶稣我认识，保禄我也熟识；可是，你们是谁呀﹖」
19:16 于是那个身附恶魔的人，便扑到他们身上，而制服了他们，胜过了他们，以致他们赤着身子，带着伤，从那屋里逃走了。
19:17 凡住在厄弗所的犹太人和希腊人，知道了这事，就都害怕起来；主耶稣的名字也传扬开了。
19:18 信教的人中，有许多来承认，并报告自己以往所行的事；
19:19 其中有好些曾行过巫术的人，把书籍一起带来，当着众人的面烧毁了；他们估计书价，得知共值五万银币。
19:20 这样，主的道理大为发扬，日渐坚固。
未来行程的计划
19:21 这些事以后，保禄决意要经过马其顿和阿哈雅往耶路撒冷去，说：「我在到那里以后，也该看看罗马。」
19:22 就打发他的两位助手，弟茂德和厄辣斯托，往马其顿去，自己暂时留在亚细亚。
厄弗所的暴动
19:23 在那时候，关于主的道，起了不小的骚动。
19:24 原来有个名叫德默特琉的银匠，制造阿尔特米的银龛，使工匠们获利不少。
19:25 他把他们和同业的工人集合起来说：「同人们！你们知道：我们是靠这手艺发财的。
19:26 你们看见，也听到：这个保禄，不仅在厄弗所，而且几乎在整个亚细亚劝服了许多人，说：『人手制造的，并不是神。』
19:27 这不但使我们这分行业，有遭人唾弃的危险，而且连伟大女神阿尔特米的庙，也要被视为无物，甚至整个亚细亚和天下所敬拜的女神的尊威，也将被消灭。」
19:28 他们听了，满怀怒气，喊着说：「大哉！厄弗所人的阿尔特米！」
19:29 于是满城混乱起来，他们捉住了保禄的旅伴马其顿人加约及阿黎斯塔苛，一起冲到剧场。
19:30 保禄愿意，进去会见民众，可是门徒们不让他去；
19:31 还有几位亚细亚的首长，是他的朋友，也打发人到他那里，劝他不要冒险到剧场去。
19:32 当时众人乱叫乱嚷，的确是一个混乱的集会，大多数都不知道为了什么而聚会。
19:33 群众中有些人推举出亚历山大来，犹太人就推他上前；亚历山大就挥了挥手，要想向民众分辩。
19:34 可是众人一认出他是犹太人来，就都同声呼喊：「大哉！厄弗所人的阿尔特米！」约两小时之久。
19:35 书记官使群众安静下来，说：「厄弗所人啊！谁不知道厄弗所人的城，是伟大阿尔特米的庙，和那从天降下的神像的看守者呢﹖
19:36 这些事既不能反驳，你们就该镇静，不要冒昧从事。
19:37 你们带来的这些人，既不是亵圣者，也没有出言侮辱我们的女神；
19:38 所以，如果德默特琉和他同业的工匠，有什么案件反对某人，有诉讼期，又有总督在，他们尽可彼此对告。
19:39 但你们若还要求什么余外的事，可以在法定的集会里解决。
19:40 关于今天的事，我们实在有被控作乱的危险，因为这本是无缘无故的；我们对这事，对这次集会，也不能指出理由来。」他说了这些话，才把集会遣散了。
第二十章(38)
巡视马其顿及阿哈雅
20:1 暴动平息后，保禄便派人去叫门徒们来，劝勉一番，就辞别他们，出发往马其顿去。
20:2 他走遍了那一带地方，多方劝勉信徒后，就到了希腊，
20:3 在那里住了三个月。当他正要乘船去叙利亚时，犹太人却设计陷害他，他遂决意经马其顿回去。
20:4 伴随他【到亚细亚】的，有贝洛雅人丕洛的儿子索帕特尔，得撒洛尼人阿黎斯塔苛和色贡多，德尔贝人加约和弟茂德，还有亚细亚人提希苛和特洛斐摩。
20:5 这些人先去了，在特洛阿等候我们；
20:6 至于我们，无酵节后，才从斐理伯启航，直到第五天才抵达特洛河，到了他们那里，在那里住了七天。
复活厄乌提曷
20:7 一周的第一天，我们相聚擘饼时，保禄便向民众讲道，因为他第二天要走，遂把话拖长，直到半夜。
20:8 在我们聚会的那座楼上，有许多灯。
20:9 有个青年名叫厄乌提曷，坐在窗台上，因保禄讲道稍长，就沉沉欲睡；及至熟睡后，就从三楼坠下；扶起来时，已经死了。
20:10 保禄下来，伏在他身上，抱住他说：「你们不要慌乱，因为他的灵魂还在他身上呢。」
20:11 遂上去，擘开饼，吃了。又谈了很久，直到天亮，这才出发。
20:12 他们把活了的孩子领去，都非常快慰。
从特洛阿到米肋托
20:13 我们上船先行，直向阿索航去，要从那里接保禄上船；因为他这样规定，自己要走陆路。
20:14 当他在阿索与我们会合时，我们便接他上船，来到米提肋乃。
20:15 从那里航行，次日到了希约对面，次日再向撒摩驶去，次日就到了米肋托。
20:16 因为保禄已决定驶过厄弗所，免得在亚细亚耽搁时间；原来他想赶程前行，假如可能，愿在耶路撒冷过五旬节。
召集厄弗所长老致词
20:17 保禄从米肋托打发人到厄弗所，请教会的长老来。
20:18 他们到了他那里，他便向他们说：「你们知道：自从我来到亚细亚的第一天起，与你们在一起，始终怎样为人，
20:19 怎样以极度的谦逊，含着眼泪，历经犹太人为我所设的阴谋，而忠信事奉主。
20:20 你们也知道：凡有益于你们的事，我没有一样隐讳而不传给你们的，我常在公众前，或挨家教训你们，
20:21 不论向犹太人或希腊人，我常苦劝你们悔改，归向天主，并信从吾主耶稣。
20:22 看，现在，我为圣神所束缚，必须往耶路撒冷去，在那里要遇到什么事，我不知道；
20:23 我只知道圣神在各城中向我指明说：有锁链和患难在等待我。
20:24 可是，只要我完成了我的行程，完成了受自主耶稣叫我给天主恩宠的福音作证的任务，我没有任何理由，珍惜我的性命。
20:25 我曾在你们中往来，宣讲了天主的国，但现在，我知道你们众人以后不得再见我的面了。
20:26 因此，我今天向你们作证：对于众人的血，我是无罪的，
20:27 因为天主的一切计划，我都传告给你们了，毫无隐讳。
20:28 圣神既在全群中立你们为监督，牧养天主用自己的血所取得的教会，所以你们要对你们自己和整个羊群留心。
20:29 我知道在我离开之后，将有凶暴的豺狼进到你们中间，不顾惜羊群，
20:30 就是在你们中间，也要有人起来讲说谬论，勾引门徒跟随他们。
20:31 因此，你们要警醒，记住我三年之久，日夜不断地含泪劝勉了你们每一个人。
20:32 现在，我把你们托付给天主和他恩宠之道，他能建立你们，并在一切圣徒中，赐给你们嗣业。
20:33 我没有贪图过任何人的金银或衣服。
20:34 你们自己知道：这双手供应了我，和同我一起的人的需要。
20:35 在各方面我都给你们立了榜样，就是必须这样劳动，扶助病弱者； 要记住主耶稣的话，他说过：『施予比领受更为有福。』」
20:36 说完这些话，便跪下同众人祈祷。
20:37 众人都大哭起来，并伏在保禄的颈项上，口亲他。
20:38 他们最伤心的，是为了保禄说的这句话：以后他们不得再见他的面了。他们便送他上了船。
第二十一章(40)
乘船抵提洛
21:1 我们离别了他们，便开船一直航行，来到科斯，第二天到了洛多，又从那里到了帕塔辣。
21:2 我们遇见了一只要开往腓尼基的船，便上去航行。
21:3 我们望见了塞浦路斯，就从它左边驶过，向叙利亚驶去，在提洛靠了岸，因为船要在那里卸货。
21:4 我们找到了门徒，就在那里住了七天；他们因圣神的默示，告诉保禄不要上耶路撒冷去。
21:5 日子一满，我们便出发前行，众人同妻子儿女陪送我们直到城外；我们跪在岸上祈祷，
21:6 彼此辞别后，我们上了船，他们就回家去了。
到凯撒勒雅
21:7 我们从提洛到了仆托肋买，便行完了航程；向弟兄们请过安，就在他们那里住了一天。
21:8 第二天我们出发，来到凯撒勒雅，进了传福音者斐理伯的家，住在他那里，他是七执事之一。
21:9 他有四个女儿，都是贞女，能说预言。
21:10 我们住了多日。有一个先知，名叫阿加波，从犹太下来。
21:11 他来到我们这里，拿起保禄的腰带，将自己的脚和手绑了，说：「圣神这样说：犹太人要在耶路撒冷这样捆绑这条腰带的主人，将他交在外邦人手中。」
21:12 我们一听这话，就同当地居民请求保禄不要上耶路撒冷去。
21:13 保禄回答说：「你们为什么啼哭，使我心碎呢﹖为了主耶稣的名，我不但准备受捆绑，而且也准备死在耶路撒冷。」
21:14 我们既不能说服他，也就静默了，只说：「愿主的旨意成就罢！」
在耶路撒冷受母教会欢迎
21:15 过了几天，我们便收拾行李上耶路撒冷去；
21:16 有几个凯撒勒雅的门徒，也和我们同去，他们领我们到一个久为门徒的塞浦路斯人木纳松那里住宿。
21:17 我们到了耶路撒冷，弟兄们高兴地接待了我们。
21:18 第二天，保禄同我们去见雅各伯，众长老也都聚集在那里。
21:19 保禄向他们请安以后，就将天主在外邦人中藉他的服务所行的事，一一叙述了。
21:20 他们听了，就光荣天主，并对保禄说：「弟兄!你看，在信教的犹太人中盈千累万，都是热爱法律的人；
21:21 关于你，他们听说你教训在外邦人中的一切犹太人背弃梅瑟，说不要给孩子行割损礼，也不要按规例行。
21:22 那么怎么办呢﹖他们总会听说你已来了。
21:23 你就按照我们告诉你的去办罢：我们这里有四个人，他们都有愿在身；
21:24 你带这些人，同他们一起行取洁礼，并替他们出钱，叫他们剃头；这样，众人便知道自己关于你所听到的事原是假的，而你却是个循规蹈矩，遵守法律的人。
21:25 关于信教的外邦人，我们已写信决定，叫他们戒避祭邪神之物、血、窒死的禽兽和奸淫。」
21:26 于是保禄就把这几个人带去；第二天，同他们一起行了取洁礼，以后进了圣殿，呈报取洁的日子何时满期，何时为他们每人奉献供物。
保禄被捕
保禄在圣殿内被捕
21:27 当七天快完时，从亚细亚来的犹太人见保禄在殿里，就煽动所有的群众，向他下手，
21:28 喊着说：「以色列人!请帮忙，这就是到处教训众人反对人民、法律和这地方的那个人。他还领了希腊人们进圣殿，亵渎了这圣地。」
21:29 原来他们以前见过厄弗所人特洛斐摩同他在城里，就以为保禄领他进了圣殿。
21:30 于是全城震动，百姓一起跑来，拿住保禄，把他拉出殿外，立即把门都关上。
21:31 他们正想要杀他时，有人上去报告给营部的千夫长说：「全耶路撒冷都乱了！」
21:32 千夫长立时带着士兵和百夫长跑下来，到了他们那里；他们一见了千夫长和士兵，就停止，不打保禄了。
21:33 于是千夫长前去，拿住保禄，下令用两条锁链绑了，遂查问他是谁，作了什么事。
21:34 群众中，有的喊这，有的喊那；由于乱嚷，千夫长不能得知实情，便下令将保禄带到营里去。
21:35 当走上台阶时，由于群众挤得凶猛，保禄只好由士兵抬着；
21:36 一群百姓跟在后面喊着说：「除掉他！」
21:37 快要带进营盘时，保禄向千夫长说：「许我向你说句话吗﹖」他说：「你会希腊话﹖
21:38 莫非你就是前些日子作乱，带领四千匕首党人，往荒野去的那个埃及人吗﹖」
21:39 保禄答说：「我是犹太人，是塔尔索人，基里基雅的一个并非无名城市的公民。我求你，准我向百姓讲话。」
21:40 千夫长准许了；保禄就站在台阶上向百姓挥手，大家都安静下来后，保禄便用希伯来话致辞说：
保禄被捕
第二十二章(30)
保禄向犹太人致词
22:1 「诸位仁人弟兄，诸位父老！请听我现在对你们的分辩。」
22:2 他们听见保禄用希伯来话向他们致辞，就更为安静了。保禄说：
22:3 「我原是犹太人，生于基里基雅的塔尔索，却在这城里长大，在加玛里耳足前，对祖传的法律，曾受过精确的教育；对天主我也是热忱的，就如你们大家今天一样。
22:4 我曾迫害过这道，直到死地；不论男女，逮捕捆绑送入狱中；
22:5 就是大司祭和整个长老团，都可给我作证；我从他们那里领了给弟兄们的文书，往大马士革去，有意把那里的这样的人加以逮捕，带到耶路撒冷来处罚。
22:6 当我前行临近大马士革时，约在中午，忽然天上有一道大光，环射到我身上，
22:7 我便跌在地上，听见有声音向我说：扫禄，扫禄！你为什么迫害我﹖
22:8 我回答说：主，你是谁﹖他向我说：我就是你所迫害的那个纳匝肋人耶稣。
22:9 同我在一起的人，只看见那光，却听不见那对我说话的声音。
22:10 我说：主，我当作什么﹖主向我说：你起来，往大马士革去，在那里有人要告诉你，给你派定当作的一切事。
22:11 由于那光的炫耀，我看不见了，就由我的同伴用手领着，进了大马士革。
22:12 有个人名叫阿纳尼雅，是虔诚守法的人，所有住在那里的犹太人都称誉他。
22:13 他来见我，站在旁边向我说：扫禄兄弟，你看见罢！我当时向他一望，就看见了他。
22:14 他说：我们祖先的天主，预简了你，叫你认识他的意愿，看见那位义者，并由他口中听到声音，
22:15 因为你要向众人，对你所见所闻的事，为他作证人。
22:16 现在你还迟延什么﹖起来领洗，呼求他的名，洗除你的罪恶罢!
22:17 我回到耶路撒冷，在殿里祈祷时，就神魂超拔，
22:18 看见主向我说：赶紧，快快离开耶路撒冷，因为这里的人，将不接受你为我作的证。
22:19 我就说：主！这是因为他们知道：我经常把信你的人下在监里，并在各会堂里鞭打他们；
22:20 当你的证人斯德望的血倾流时，我本人还站在旁边予以赞同，并且看守杀他的人们的衣服!
22:21 他向我说：你去！因为我要打发你到远方外邦人那里去。」
声明自己是罗马公民
22:22 他们听他说到这句话，便扬声说：「从地上除掉这样的人，他不该活着！」
22:23 他们遂喧哗纳喊，扔下衣服，并向空中扬土。
22:24 千夫长只得下令将保禄带进营里，说是要用鞭子拷问他，以便知道他们为什么缘故这样喊叫反对他。
22:25 当士兵用皮条将保禄绑好时，保禄向旁边站着的百夫长说：「一个罗马人，又没有被定罪，难道你们就可以鞭打他么﹖」
22:26 百夫长听了，就来到千夫长前报告说：「你可怎么办﹖这个人是罗马人！」
22:27 千夫长就前来问保禄说：「告诉我，你是罗马人吗﹖」保禄说：「是。」
22:28 千夫长回答说：「我用一大笔钱才购得这个公民权。」保禄说：「我却生来就是。」
22:29 于是那些要拷问保禄的人，便立即离开他走了。千夫长一知道他是罗马人，又因为曾捆绑了他，就害怕起来。
22:30 第二天，千夫长愿意知道，保禄为什么被犹太人控告的实情，就解开他，并命令司祭长及全体公议会集合；随后将保禄带下来，叫他站在他们面前。
第二十三章(35)
保禄在公议会受审
23:1 保禄注视公议会说：「诸位仁人弟兄！我在天主前，作事为人，全凭纯善的良心，直到今天。」
23:2 大司祭阿纳尼雅却命站在旁边的人打他的嘴。
23:3 那时，保禄向他说：「粉白的墙啊！天主将要打击你；你坐下审判我，应按照法律，你竟违反法律，下令打我吗﹖」
23:4 旁边站着的人说：「你竟敢辱骂天主的大司祭吗﹖」
23:5 保禄说：「弟兄们！我原不知道他是大司祭，因为经上记载说：『不可诅咒你百姓的首长。』」
23:6 保禄一看出他们一部份是撒杜塞人，另一部份是法利塞人，就在公议会中喊说：「诸位仁人弟兄！我是法利塞人，是法利塞人的儿子，我是为了希望死者的复活，现在受审。」
23:7 他说了这话，法利塞人和撒杜塞人便起了争辩，会众就分裂了。
23:8 原来撒杜塞人说没有复活，也没有天使，也没有神灵；法利塞人却样样都承认。
23:9 于是喧嚷大起，有几个法利塞党的经师起来力争说：「我们在这人身上找不出一点过错来；或者有神灵或天使同他说了话！」
23:10 争辩越来越大，千夫长怕保禄被他们撕裂，便命军队下来，把保禄从他们中间抢出来，带到营里去了。
23:11 次夜，主显现给保禄说：「你放心罢！你怎样在耶路撒冷为我作证，也该怎样在罗马为我作证。」
犹太人的阴谋
23:12 天一亮，犹太人共商阴谋，发自诅的誓说：「不杀了保禄，决不吃不喝。」
23:13 发这誓的有四十多人；
23:14 这些人来到司祭长及长老前说：「我们发了自诅的誓，不杀了保禄，什么也不吃。
23:15 所以，你们同公议会现在要通知千夫长，带保禄下到你们这里，你们假装要更详细审讯他的事；我们早准备好，在他来到你们这里以前，就杀掉他。」
23:16 可是，保禄姊妹的儿子，听到了这种诡计，就来到营里，报告给保禄。
23:17 保禄就叫来一个百夫长说：「请领这个青年到千夫长那里去，他有事要向他报告。」
23:18 于是百夫长就带他到千夫长那里说：「囚犯保禄叫我去，求我把这个青年领到你这里来，他有事要告诉你。」
23:19 千夫长拉着他的手，走到一边，私下询问说：「你有什么事要向我报告﹖」
23:20 他说：「犹太人已约定请求你，明天把保禄带下去，到公议会里，假装要更详细查问他的事。
23:21 所以你切不要听从他们，因为他们中有四十多人埋伏着等待保禄，这些人已发了自诅的誓，非杀掉他，决不吃不喝；现在他们已准备好，只等候你的应允。」
23:22 于是千夫长便打发那青年走了，并吩咐他说：「不要向任何人说你将这事报告给我了。」
保禄被解送至凯撒勒雅
23:23 千夫长遂叫来了两个百夫长说：「预备二百士兵，七十骑兵，二百长枪手，今夜第三时辰，往凯撒勒雅去，
23:24 并备妥牲口，叫保禄骑上，把他平安护送到斐理斯总督那里。」
23:25 他写了一封这样的信：
23:26 「喀劳狄里息雅向总督斐理斯钧座请安。
23:27 这人为犹太人拿住，快要被他们杀掉时，我听说他是罗马人，就带军队到场，把他救出。
23:28 我想要知道他们所以控告他的缘由，就带他下到他们的公议会去。
23:29 得知他被控告，是为了他们的法律问题，并没有任何该死或该监禁的罪行。
23:30 有人告知我，将有阴谋陷害他。我便立刻打发他到你这里来，并吩咐原告到你面前控诉他。祝你安好！」
23:31 于是士兵照所命令的，夜间带领保禄到了安提帕特；
23:32 第二天，让骑兵跟保禄同去，别的就回到营里。
23:33 他们进了凯撒勒雅，把信呈给总督，并引保禄到他面前。
23:34 总督读了信，便问保禄是那一省的人；既查知他是基里基雅人，
23:35 便说：「等控告你的人来到，我再听审你。」遂下令把保禄看守在黑落德王府里。
第二十四章(27)
在斐理斯前受审
24:1 过了五天，大司祭阿尼雅同几个长老和一个名叫特尔突罗的律师下来，向总督控告保禄。
24:2 保禄被传来后，特尔突罗便开始控告说：「斐理斯大人！因了你，我们才得大享太平，由于你的照料，这民族得了改善：
24:3 这是我们时时处处感激不尽的。
24:4 但为了不多耽误你的时间，我请求你发仁慈，略听我们片刻。
24:5 我们查出这人实在是个危险人物。他鼓动天下的一切犹太人作乱，又是纳匝肋教派的魁首。
24:6 他还企图亵渎圣殿，我们便把他抓住了。【本想按我们的法律来审判他，
24:7 可是千夫长里息雅赶到，以武力将他从我们手中夺去，
24:8 命令控告他的人，到你这里来。】你问问他，便可知道我们控告这人的一切事是真的了。」
24:9 犹太人也一起附和，肯定事情确是如此。
24:10 总督示意叫保禄说话，保禄便回答说：「我知道你多年以来，就作这民族的判官，所以我可放心为我自己的事作辩护。
24:11 你能够查知：自从我上耶路撒冷来朝拜，到现在还不过十二天。
24:12 他们在圣殿里，或在会堂里，或在城内，没有看见我同什么人争论，或集合过群众。
24:13 对于他们现在控告我的事，他们也不能向你证明。
24:14 但是有一点，我却向你承认：就是我确是依照他们所称为异端的道，事奉祖先的天主；凡合乎法律及先知书上所记载的一切，我都相信。
24:15 我对天主所有的希望，也是他们自己所期待的，就是义人及不义的人将要复活。
24:16 因此，我自己勉力，对天主对人时常保持良心无愧。
24:17 我离开耶路撒冷多年以后，才回到那里，是为赒济我国人，并呈献祭物。
24:18 这期间，有人见我在圣殿里行取洁礼，既没有集众，也没有作乱。
24:19 不过，只有几个从亚细亚来的犹太人，他们若有告我的事，他们应该到你面前控告。
24:20 或者，如果这里的这些人，见我站在公议会前有什么不对，他们尽可提出；
24:21 即使有，无非是为了我站在他们中间所喊的这一声：为了死者的复活，我今天才受你们审判。」
24:22 斐理斯对于这道，既有比较确切的认识，便有意拖延，就对他们说：「等里息雅千夫长下来，我再审断你们的事。」
24:23 遂命百夫长看守保禄，要从宽待他，不要阻止他的近人来接济他。
24:24 过了几天，斐理斯和他的犹太籍妻子得鲁息拉一起来到，就打发人叫保禄来，听他讲论有关信仰基督耶稣的道理。
24:25 保禄讲论到公义、节操和将来的审判时，斐理斯害怕起来，便回答说：「现在你回去，等我得便，再叫你来。」
24:26 他同时也希望保禄给他些钱，因此，屡次打发人叫他来和他谈话。
24:27 满了两年，颇尔基约斐斯托接了斐理斯的任；斐理斯愿意向犹太人讨好，就将保禄留在监里。
第二十五章(27)
上诉凯撒
25:1 斐斯托到省上任，三天以后，就从凯撒勒雅上了耶路撒冷。
25:2 司祭长和犹太人的首领，向他告发保禄，并请求他开恩，
25:3 来对付保禄，就是求他将保禄解到耶路撒冷来，他们好设下埋伏，在半路上将他杀掉。
25:4 可是，斐斯托回答说：「保禄应押在凯撒勒雅，我自己不久就快回去；」
25:5 又说：「你们中有权势的人，跟我一同下去，若在那人身上有什么不对处，控告他好了。」
25:6 斐斯托在他们中住了不过八天或十天，就下到了凯撒勒雅。第二天坐堂，下令将保禄带来；
25:7 保禄一来到，从耶路撒冷下来的犹太人就围住他，提出许多严重而不能证明的罪状。
25:8 保禄分辩说：「我对于犹太人的法律，对于圣殿，对于凯撒，都没有犯什么罪。」
25:9 斐斯托想要向犹太人讨好，就向保禄说：「关于这些事，你愿意上耶路撒冷，在那里于我面前受审吗﹖」
25:10 保禄却说：「我站在凯撒的公堂前，我该在这里受审。我对犹太人并没有作过不对的事，就是你也知道的很清楚。
25:11 假如我作了不对的事，或作了什么该死的事，我虽死不辞；但若这些人所控告我的，都是实无其事，那么谁也不能将我交与他们；我向凯撒上诉。」
25:12 斐斯托与议会商议之后，回答说：「你既向凯撒上诉，就往凯撒那里去了!」
阿格黎帕王来访
25:13 过了几天，阿格黎帕王同贝勒尼切到了凯撒勒雅，向斐斯托致候。
25:14 他们在那里住了多日，斐斯托就将保禄的事件，陈述给王说：「这里有一个人，是斐理斯留在狱中的囚犯。
25:15 我在耶路撒冷的时候，司祭长和犹太人的长老告发他，要求定他的罪。
25:16 我回答他们说：当被告还没有与原告当面对质，还没有机会辩护控告他的事以前，就将那人交出，不合罗马人的规例。
25:17 及至他们来到这里，我一点也没有迟延，次日便坐堂，下令把那人带来。
25:18 原告站起来，对他没有提出一件罪案，是我所逆料的恶事；
25:19 他们的争辩，仅是关于他们的宗教及关于一个已死的耶稣，保禄却说他还活着。
25:20 我对这争执不知如何处理，就问他是否愿意去耶路撒冷，在那里受审。
25:21 可是，保禄却要求上诉，将他留给皇帝审断，我便下令留下他，等我解他到凯撒那里。」
25:22 阿格黎帕向斐斯托说：「我也愿意亲自听听这个人。」斐斯托说：「明天你就可以听他。」
25:23 第二天，阿格黎帕和贝勒尼切来时甚是排场，偕同千夫长及城里的要人进了厅堂；斐斯托下令，把保禄带来。
25:24 斐斯托说：「阿格黎帕王和同我们在场的众人，你们看这个人，为了他，所有的犹太群众曾在耶路撒冷和这里向我请求，呼喊说：不该容他再活下去。
25:25 但我查明他并没有作过什么该死的事。他既把这案子向皇帝上诉了，我便决定把他解去。
25:26 我对这人没有什么确实的事可向主上陈奏；因此我将他带到你们前，尤其你阿格黎帕王前，好在审讯以后，有所陈奏，
25:27 因为我以为，解送囚犯而不指明他的罪状，于理不合。」
第二十六章(32)
保禄在阿格黎帕王前自辩
26:1 阿格黎帕向保禄说：「准你为自己辩护。」那时，保禄便伸起手来，辩护说：
26:2 「阿格黎帕王！我今天能在你跟前，对于犹太人所控告我的一切事，得以辩护，我觉得十分幸运，
26:3 尤其你熟悉犹太人的一切习俗和争端，所以我求你忍耐听我。
26:4 我自幼年以来，从起初在我民族中，以及在耶路撒冷，处世为人如何，犹太人都知道。
26:5 假如他们肯作证的话，他们从很早就知道：我是按照我们教中最严格的宗派，度着法利塞人的生活。
26:6 现在，我因希望天主对我们祖先的恩许，而站在这里受审。
26:7 我们十二支派，日夜勤恳地事奉天主，希望这许诺到来。王啊！正是为了这个希望，我为犹太人所控告。
26:8 天主既使死人复活了，为什么你们竟断为不可信呢﹖
26:9 本来，我本人过去也认为，应尽力反对纳匝肋人耶稣的名，
26:10 我在耶路撒冷就这样作过。我不但从司祭长那里取得权柄，把许多圣者关在监里；而且他们被杀时，我还投了票。
26:11 我也曾在各会堂里，多次用刑，强迫他们说亵渎的话；而且分外狂怒地迫害他们，直到外邦的城市。
26:12 在这期间，我曾取得司祭长的权柄和准许，往大马士革去。
26:13 王啊!时当正午，我在路上看见一道光，比太阳还亮，从天上环照着我，和与我同行的人；
26:14 我们都跌倒在地。我听见有声音用希伯来话向我说：『扫禄，扫禄，你为什么迫害我﹖向刺锥踢去，为你是难堪的。』
26:15 我说：『主！你是谁﹖』主说：『我就是你所迫害的耶稣。
26:16 但是，你起来，站好，因为我显现给你，正是为了要选派你为我服务，并为你见到我的事，以及我将要显现给你的事作证。
26:17 我把你从这百姓及外邦人中救出，是要打发你到他们那里去，
26:18 开明他们的眼，叫他们从黑暗中转入光明，由撒殚权下归向天主，好使他们因信我而获得罪赦，并在圣化的人中得有分子。』
26:19 因此，阿格黎帕王！我对这天上的异像并没有失信，
26:20 相反地，我首先向大马士革和耶路撒冷以及犹太全境的人，然后向外邦人传报，叫他们悔改，归向天主，作与悔改相称的作为。
26:21 正是为了这个缘故，犹太人在殿里把我拿住，想要向我下毒手；
26:22 但我得蒙天主的助，直到今天我还站得住，向卑微和尊高的人作证。我所讲的，不外乎先知和梅瑟所说过的，必将成就的事：
26:23 就是默西亚怎样必须受难，怎样必须由死者中作复活起来的第一人，将光明传布给这百姓及外邦人。」
辩护的结果
26:24 保禄辩护到这里，斐斯托大声说：「保禄，你疯了！学问太多把你弄疯了。」
26:25 保禄却说：「斐斯托大人！我没有疯，相反，我说的是真理和清醒的话，
26:26 因为王知道这些事，我便向他放心讲论。我深信这些事没有一件瞒得过他的，因为这不是在偏僻角落里行的。
26:27 阿格黎帕王！你信先知吗﹖我知道你信。」
26:28 阿格黎帕向保禄说：「你差一点就劝服我作了基督徒！」
26:29 保禄说：「差一点也罢！差的多也罢！我总祈望天主，不但叫你，而且也叫今天听我的众人，除了这些锁链以外，都要像我一样。」
26:30 于是王、总督和贝勒尼切，以及和他们同坐的人都起来，
26:31 退到一边，彼此谈论说：「这人并没有作过什么该死，或该监禁的事。」
26:32 阿格黎帕对斐斯托说：「这人若没有向凯撒上诉，早就可以释放了。」
解往罗马
第二十七章(44)
保禄乘船到米辣
27:1 既决定了要我们坐船往意大利去，就将保禄和一些别的囚犯，交给皇家营里的一个百夫长，他名叫犹里约。
27:2 有一只由阿得辣米特来的船，要开往亚细亚沿岸一带地方去。我们上去，便开了船，同我们一起的，还有马其顿的得撒洛尼人阿黎斯塔苛。
27:3 第二天，我们在漆冬靠了岸，犹里约优待保禄，准他到朋友那里去获得照应。
27:4 我们又从那里开了船，因为是逆风，便沿塞浦路斯背风的海面航行，
27:5 横渡基里基雅和旁非里雅一带的海面，便到了里基雅的米辣。
到克里特岛
27:6 百夫长在那里找到一只由亚历山大里亚来，要开往意大利的船，便叫我们上了那船。
27:7 我们一连多日缓慢航行，仅到了克尼多对面，因为风阻止我们，我们就靠着克里特背风的海面，在撒耳摩讷旁边航行，
27:8 我们沿岸而行，方才来到一个名叫良港的地方，拉撒雅城就在附近。
27:9 历时既久，航海已很危险，因为禁食节已过了，保禄就劝告他们说：
27:10 「诸位同人！我看这次航行，不但货物和船，就是连我们的性命，也将要遭受灾害和重大的损失。」
27:11 可是，百夫长宁信从舵手和船主，不听保禄所说的话。
27:12 又因为这港口不适于过冬，大多数人便提议由这里开船，或者能到腓尼斯去过冬，腓尼斯是克里特的一个港口，面朝西南和西北。
27:13 那时，南风徐徐吹来，大家以为对目的地已有了把握，就起锚沿着克里特航行。
途遇风暴
27:14 可是，过了不久，有一种称为「东北风」的飓风，向岛上冲来。
27:15 船被飓风卷去，不能顶风而行，我们只好任风飘流。
27:16 当我们贴着一个名叫克劳达小岛的背风处疾驶时，才能将小艇把持住，
27:17 水手们把小艇拉上来，用缆索把船绑好、又怕撞在叙尔提浅滩上，便落下船具，这样任船飘荡。
27:18 我们被风浪巅簸得太厉害，第二天他们便将货物拋去；
27:19 第三天他们又亲手把船上的用具也拋弃了。
27:20 好多天看不见太阳，看不见星辰，狂暴的风仍不见小，从此我们获救的希望，全都消失了。
27:21 众人好久已没有吃饭，保禄便站在他们中间说：「诸位同人，你们本该听我的话，不该从克里特开船，而遭受这场灾害和损失。
27:22 虽然如此，我现在仍劝你们放心，因为除这只船外，你们中没有一个会丧命的，
27:23 因为，我所归属和所事奉的天主的使者，今夜曾显现给我，
27:24 说保禄!不要害怕，你必要站在凯撒面前。看，一切和你同船的人，天主都已赐给你了。
27:25 因此，诸位同人！请放心好了，因为我信天主对我怎样说，也必怎样成就；
27:26 不过我们必要搁浅在一个岛上。」
在默里达岛附近覆舟
27:27 到了第十四天夜里，我们在亚得里亚海飘来飘去；约在半夜时分，水手们猜想离一处陆地近了，
27:28 便拋下测铅，得知水深二十寻；隔了一会，又拋下测铅，得知水深十五寻。
27:29 他们又怕我们碰在礁石上，就从船尾拋下四个锚，切望天亮。
27:30 水手想法离船逃走，便将小艇系到海里，假装要从船头拋锚的样子，
27:31 保禄就给百夫长和士兵说：「这些人若不留在船上，你们便不能获救。」
27:32 那时，士兵便割断小艇的缆索，任它沉没。
27:33 从那时直到天亮，保禄一直劝众人用饭说：「你们一直忍饥期待，没有吃什么，到今天已是第十四天了。
27:34 所以我劝你们用饭；这与你们获救有关，因为连你们头上的头发也不会失掉一根。」
27:35 保禄说了这话，便拿起饼来，在众人前，感谢了天主，然后擘开，开始吃。
27:36 于是众人都放了心，也都用了饭。
27:37 当时我们在船上的，共有二百七十六人。
27:38 众人都吃饱了饭，便把麦子拋在海里，使船轻些。
27:39 当天亮时，他们不认得那陆地，但瞥见一个有岸边的海湾，如果可能，就愿意把船驶进去。
27:40 于是将锚割断，弃在海里，同时松开舵绳，拉上前帆，顺着风，向岸边前进。
27:41 不料却碰到一道沙滩，两边有海，竟把船搁浅了，船头陷入，胶定不动，船尾却被浪涛猛力冲坏。
27:42 那时士兵主张要把囚犯杀掉，免得有人泅水逃走；
27:43 可是百夫长却愿救保禄，便阻止他们任意行事，遂命令会泅水的先跳入水中，先行登陆，
27:44 至于其余的人，有的用木板，有的凭船上的零碎东西：这样众人都登了陆，得了救。
第二十八章(31)
在默里达岛显奇迹
28:1 我们得救以后，那时才知道这岛名叫默里达。
28:2 土人待我们非常友善，因为当时正在下雨，天又寒冷，他们就生起一堆火来款待我们众人。
28:3 保禄拾了一捆柴，放在火堆上；有一条毒蛇，因热而出，缠住了他的手。
28:4 土人一见毒蛇在保禄手上悬着，就彼此说：「这人必定是个凶手，虽然他从海里得了救，天理仍不容他活着。」
28:5 保禄竟把那毒蛇抖在火里，一点也没有受害；
28:6 他们等待保禄发肿，或者突然跌倒死去；但等了好久，见没有一点不对的地方在他身上发生，就转念说他是个神。
28:7 离那地方不远，有一块田园，是岛上的首领名叫颇里约的；他收留我们，款待了我们三天，很是厚道。
28:8 适冯颇里约的父亲卧病，患热病和痢疾；保禄就到他那里，祈祷以后，给他覆手，治好了他。
28:9 这样一来，岛上其余有病的人也都前来，也全被治好了。
28:10 他们处处表示十分尊敬我们；当我们开船的时候，还给我们放上急需品。
乘船赴罗马
28:11 有只用「雕斯雇黎」作标帜的亚历山大里亚船，在那岛上过冬：过了三个月，我们便乘这船航行。
28:12 我们在息辣谷撒靠了岸，停留了三天；
28:13 从那里绕道前行，到了勒基雍。过了一天，吹起了南风，次日我们就到了颇提约里；
28:14 在那里我们遇见了弟兄们，他们请我们在那里住了七天；以后，我们便往罗马去了。
抵达罗马
28:15 弟兄们听到我们的消息后，便从罗马来到阿丕约市场和三馆迎接我们；保禄见了他们，就感谢天主，而获得勇气。
28:16 我们进了罗马，保禄获准与看守他的士兵独居一处。
28:17 过了三天，保禄便召集犹太人的首领；待他们来齐了，就向他们说：「诸位仁人弟兄！论到我，我虽没有行什么反对民族，或祖先规例的事，却被锁押了，从耶路撒冷被交到罗马人手里。
28:18 他们审问了我，在我身上没有找到该死的罪案，就想释放我；
28:19 但犹太人反对，我不得已，只好向凯撒上诉，并不是我有什么事要控告我的人民。
28:20 为这个缘故，我才请你们来见面谈话。我原是为了以色列所希望的事，才带上了这条锁链。」
28:21 他们向他说：「我们没有从犹太接到关于你的书信，弟兄们中也没有一个人来报告，或说你有什么不好；
28:22 不过我们愿意从你本人听听你的意见，因为关于这个教门，我们知道它到处受人反对。」
两年囚居的传教生活
28:23 他们既与保禄约定了日子，就有更多的人到寓所来见他；他就从早到晚，给他们讲解，为天主的国作证，引征梅瑟法律和先知书，劝导他们信服耶稣。
28:24 有的人因他所说的话而相信了，有的却不相信；
28:25 他们彼此不合，便散去了。散去之前，保禄曾说了这段话：「圣神藉依撒意亚先知向你们祖先说的正对。
28:26 他说：『你去对这民族说：你们听是听，但不了解；看是看，却不明白，
28:27 因为这民族的心迟钝，耳朵难以听见；他们闭了自己的眼睛，免得眼睛看见，耳朵听见，心里了解而悔改，而要我医好他们。』
28:28 所以，你们要知道：
28:29 天主的这个救恩已送给了外邦人，他们将要听从。」
28:30 保禄在自己赁的房子里，住了整整两年；凡来见他的，他都接待。
28:31 他宣讲天主的国，教授主耶稣基督的事，都非常自由，没有人禁止。
BOOK ENDS. Seraphim, April 2009.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 1
Prologue
1:1 In my earlier work,[*a]
Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and I taught from the
beginning
1:2 until the day he gave his
instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was
taken up to heaven.
1:3 He had shown himself alive
to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had
continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God.
1:4 When he had been at table
with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what
the Father had promised. 'It is' he had said 'what you have heard me speak
about:
1:5 John baptised with water
but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.'
The ascension
1:6 Now having met
together,[*b] they asked him, 'Lord, has the time come? Are you going to
restore the kingdom to Israel?'
1:7 He replied, 'It is not for
you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority,
1:8 but you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only
in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the
earth'.
1:9 As he said this he was
lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.
1:10 They were still staring
into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them
1:11 and they said, 'Why are
you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been
taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way
as you have seen him go there.'
I. THE JERUSALEM
CHURCH
The group of
apostles
1:12 So from the Mount of
Olives, as it is called, they went back to Jerusalem, a short distance away, no
more than a sabbath walk;
1:13 and when they reached the
city they went to the upper room where they were staying; there were Peter and
John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son
of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude son of James.[*c]
1:14 All these joined in
continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of
Jesus, and with his brothers.[*d]
The election of
Matthias
1:15 One day Peter stood up to
speak to the brothers[*e]-there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the
congregation:
1:16 'Brothers, the passage of
scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David,
foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who
arrested Jesus -
1:17 after having been one of
our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours.
1:18 As you know, he bought a
field with the money he was paid for his crime. He fell headlong and burst
open, and all his entrails poured out.
1:19 Everybody in Jerusalem
heard about it and the field came to be called the Bloody Acre, in their
language Hakeldama.
1:20 Now in the Book of Psalms
it says: Let his camp be reduced to ruin, Let there be no one to live in
it.[*f] And again: Let someone else take his office.[*g]
1:21 'We must therefore choose
someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling
round with us,
1:22 someone who was with us
right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up
from us - and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.'
1:23 Having nominated two
candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias,
1:24 they prayed, 'Lord, you
can read everyone's heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen
1:25 to take over this
ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place'.
1:26 They then drew lots for
them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve
apostles.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 2
Pentecost
2:1 When Pentecost day came
round, they had all met in one room,
2:2 when suddenly they heard
what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the
entire house in which they were sitting;
2:3 and something appeared to
them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the
head of each of them.
2:4 They were all filled with
the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them
the gift of speech.
2:5 Now there were devout men
living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven,
2:6 and at this sound they all
assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language.
2:7 They were amazed and
astonished. 'Surely' they said 'all these men speaking are Galileans?
2:8 How does it happen that
each of us hears them in his own native language?
2:9 Parthians, Medes and
Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome-
2:11 Jews and proselytes[*a]
alike-Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language about the
marvels of God.'
2:12 Everyone was amazed and
unable to explain it; they asked one another what it all meant.
2:13 Some, however, laughed it
off. 'They have been drinking too much new wine' they said.
Peter's address to
the crowd
2:14 Then Peter stood up with
the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice: 'Men of Judaea, and all you who
live in Jerusalem, make no mistake about this, but listen carefully to what I
say.
2:15 These men are not drunk,
as you imagine; why, it is only the third hour of the day.[*b]
2:16 'On the contrary, this is
what the prophet[*c] spoke of:
2:17 In the days to come-it is
the Lord who speaks-I will pour out my spirit on all mankind. Their sons and
daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall
dream dreams.
2:18 Even on my slaves, men
and women, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.
2:19 I will display portents
in heaven above and signs on earth below.
2:20 The sun will be turned
into darkness and the moon into blood before the great Day of the Lord dawns.
2:21 All who call on the name
of the Lord will be saved.
2:22 'Men of Israel, listen to
what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by
the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was
among you, as you all know.
2:23 This man, who was put
into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took
and had crucified by men outside the Law.[*d] You killed him,
2:24 but God raised him to
life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be
held in its power since,
2:25 as David says of him: I
saw the Lord before me always, for with him at my right hand nothing can shake
me.
2:26 So my heart was glad and
my tongue cried out with joy; my body, too, will rest in the hope
2:27 that you will not abandon
my soul to Hades nor allow your holy one to experience corruption.
2:28 You have made known the
way of life to me, you will fill me with gladness through your presence.[*e]
2:29 'Brothers, no one can
deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is still
with us.
2:30 But since he was a
prophet, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his descendants
succeed him on the throne,[*f]
2:31 'what he foresaw and
spoke about was the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was not
abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not experience corruption.
2:32 God raised this man Jesus
to life, and all of us are witnesses to that.
2:33 Now raised to the heights
by God's right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was
promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.
2:34 For David himself never
went up to heaven; and yet these words are his: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit
at my right hand
2:35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for you.[*g]
2:36 'For this reason the
whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you
crucified both Lord and Christ.'
The first
conversions
2:37 Hearing this, they were
cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, 'What must we do,
brothers?'
2:38 'You must repent,' Peter
answered 'and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2:39 The promise that was made
is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those
whom the Lord our God will call to himself.'[*h]
2:40 He spoke to them for a
long time using many arguments, and he urged them, 'Save yourselves from this
perverse generation'.
2:41 They were convinced by
his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day
about three thousand were added to their number.
The early Christian
community
2:42 These remained faithful
to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread
and to the prayers.
2:43 The many miracles and
signs worked through the apostles made a deep impression on everyone.
2:44 The faithful all lived
together and owned everything in common;
2:45 they sold their goods and
possessions and shared out the proceeds among themselves according to what each
one needed.
2:46 They went as a body to
the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they
shared their food gladly and generously;
2:47 they praised God and were
looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those
destined to be saved.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 3
The cure of a lame
man
3:1 Once, when Peter and John
were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour,[*a]
3:2 it happened that there was
a man being carried past. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him
down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he
could beg from the people going in.
3:3 When this man saw Peter
and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them.
3:4 Both Peter and John looked
straight at him and said, 'Look at us'.
3:5 He turned to them
expectantly, hoping to get something from them,
3:6 but Peter said, 'I have
neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus
Christ the Nazarene, walk!'
3:7 Peter then took him by the
hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm,
3:8 he jumped up, stood, and
began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and
praising God.
3:9 Everyone could see him
walking and praising God,
3:10 and they recognised him
as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. They
were all astonished and unable to explain what had happened to him.
Peter's address to
the people
3:11 Everyone came running
towards them in great excitement, to the Portico of Solomon, as it is called,
where the man was still clinging to Peter and John.
3:12 When Peter saw the people
he addressed them, 'Why are you so surprised at this? Why are you staring at us
as though we had made this man walk by our own power or holiness?
3:13 You are Israelites, and
it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has
glorified his servant[*b] Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned
in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release him.
3:14 It was you who accused
the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer
3:15 while you killed the
prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are
the witnesses;
3:16 and it is the name of
Jesus which, through our faith in it, has brought back the strength of this man
whom you see here and who is well known to you. It is faith in that name that
has restored this man to health, as you can all see.
3:17 'Now I know, brothers,
that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing;
3:18 this was the way God
carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that
his Christ would suffer.
3:19 Now you must repent and
turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,
3:20 and so that the Lord may
send the time of comfort. Then he will send you the Christ he has predestined,
that is Jesus,
3:21 whom heaven must keep
till the universal restoration comes which God proclaimed, speaking through his
holy prophets.
3:22 Moses, for example, said:
The Lord God will raise up a prophet like myself for you, from among your own
brothers; you must listen to whatever he tells you.
3:23 The man who does not
listen to that prophet is to be cut off from the people.[*c]
3:24 In fact, all the prophets
that have ever spoken, from Samuel onwards, have predicted these days.
3:25 'You are the heirs of the
prophets, the heirs of the covenant God made with our ancestors when he told
Abraham: in your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.[*d]
3:26 It was for you in the
first place that God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning
every one of you from your wicked ways.'
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 4
Peter and John
before the Sanhedrin
4:1 While they were still
talking to the people the priests came up to them, accompanied by the captain
of the Temple and the Sadducees.[*a]
4:2 They were extremely
annoyed at their teaching the people the doctrine of the resurrection from the
dead by proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus.
4:3 They arrested them, but as
it was already late, they held them till the next day.
4:4 But many of those who had
listened to their message became believers, the total number of whom had now
risen to something like five thousand.
4:5 The next day the rulers,
elders and scribes[*b] had a meeting in Jerusalem
4:6 with Annas the high
priest, Caiaphas, Jonathan, Alexander and all the members of the high-priestly
families.
4:7 They made the prisoners
stand in the middle and began to interrogate them, 'By what power, and by whose
name have you men done this?'
4:8 Then Peter, filled with
the Holy Spirit, addressed them, 'Rulers of the people, and elders!
4:9 If you are questioning us
today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed,
4:10 then I am glad to tell
you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it
was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God
raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to
stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today.
4:11 This is the stone
rejected by you the builders, but which has proved to be the keystone.[*c]
4:12 For of all the names in
the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.'
4:13 They were astonished at
the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated laymen;
and they recognised them as associates of Jesus;
4:14 but when they saw the man
who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer.
4:15 So they ordered them to
stand outside while the Sanhedrin had a private discussion.
4:16 'What are we going to do
with these men?' they asked. 'It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a
miracle has been worked through them in public, and we cannot deny it.
4:17 But to stop the whole
thing spreading any further among the people, let us caution them never to
speak to anyone in this name again.'
4:18 So they called them in
and gave them a warning on no account to make statements or to teach in the
name of Jesus.
4:19 But Peter and John
retorted, 'You must judge whether in God's eyes it is right to listen to you
and not to God.
4:20 We cannot promise to stop
proclaiming what we have seen and heard.'
4:21 The court repeated the
warnings and then released them; they could not think of any way to punish
them, since all the people were giving glory to God for what had happened.
4:22 The man who had been
miraculously cured was over forty years old.
The apostles'
prayer under persecution
4:23 As soon as they were
released they went to the community and told them everything the chief priests
and elders had said to them.
4:24 When they heard it they
lifted up their voice to God all together. 'Master,' they prayed 'it is you who
made heaven and earth and sea, and everything in them;
4:25 you it is who said
through the Holy Spirit and speaking through our ancestor David, your servant:
Why this arrogance among the nations, these futile plots among the peoples?
4:26 Kings on earth setting
out to war, princes making an alliance, against the Lord and against his
Anointed.[*d]
4:27 'This is what has come
true: in this very city Herod and Pontius Pilate made an alliance with the
pagan nations and the peoples of Israel, against your holy servant Jesus whom
you anointed,[*e]
4:28 but only to bring about
the very thing that you in your strength and your wisdom had predetermined
should happen.
4:29 And now, Lord, take note
of their threats and help your servants to proclaim your message with all
boldness,
4:30 by stretching out your
hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels through the name of your holy
servant Jesus.'
4:31 As they prayed, the house
where they were assembled rocked; they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to proclaim the word of God boldly.
The early Christian
community
4:32 The whole group of
believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything
that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.
4:33 The apostles continued to
testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were
all given great respect.
4:34 None of their members was
ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring
the money from them,
4:35 to present it to the
apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.
The generosity of
Barnabas
4:36 There was a Levite of
Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means
'son of encouragement').
4:37 He owned a piece of land
and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 5
The fraud of
Ananias and Sapphira
5:1 There was another man,
however, called Ananias. He and his wife, Sapphira, agreed to sell a property;
5:2 but with his wife's
connivance he kept back part of the proceeds, and brought the rest and
presented it to the apostles.
5:3 'Ananias,' Peter said 'how
can Satan have so possessed you that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep
back part of the money from the land?
5:4 While you still owned the
land, wasn't it yours to keep, and after you had sold it wasn't the money yours
to do with as you liked? What put this scheme into your mind? It is not to men
that you have lied, but to God.'
5:5 When he heard this Ananias
fell down dead. This made a profound impression on everyone present.
5:6 The younger men got up,
wrapped the body in a sheet, carried it out and buried it.
5:7 About three hours later
his wife came in, not knowing what had taken place.
5:8 Peter challenged her,
'Tell me, was this the price you sold the land for?' 'Yes,' she said 'that was
the price.'
5:9 Peter then said, 'So you
and your husband have agreed to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test! What
made you do it? You hear those footsteps? They have just been to bury your
husband; they will carry you out, too.'
5:10 Instantly she dropped
dead at his feet. When the young men came in they found she was dead, and they
carried her out and buried her by the side of her husband.
5:11 This made a profound
impression on the whole Church and on all who heard it.
The general
situation
5:12b They all used to meet by
common consent in the Portico of Solomon.
5:13 No one else ever dared to
join them, but the people were loud in their praise
5:14 and the numbers of men
and women who came to believe in the Lord increased steadily.
5:12a So many signs and
wonders were worked among the people at the hands of the apostles
5:15 that the sick were even
taken out into the streets and laid on beds and sleeping-mats in the hope that
at least the shadow of Peter might fall across some of them as he went past.
5:16 people even came crowding
in from the towns round about Jerusalem, bringing with them their sick and
those tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were cured.
The apostles'
arrest and miraculous deliverance
5:17 Then the high priest
intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by
jealousy,
5:18 they arrested the
apostles and had them put in the common gaol.
5:19 But at night the angel of
the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out,
5:20 'Go and stand in the
Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life'.
5:21 They did as they were
told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach.
A summons to appear
before the Sanhedrin
When the high priest arrived,
he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin - this was the full Senate of
Israel - and sent to the gaol for them to be brought.
5:22 But when the officials
arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and
reported,
5:23 'We found the gaol
securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the
door we found no one inside'.
5:24 When the captain of the
Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what this could
mean.
5:25 Then a man arrived with
fresh news. 'At this very moment' he said 'the men you imprisoned are in the
Temple. They are standing there preaching to the people.'
5:26 The captain went with his
men and fetched them. They were afraid to use force in case the people stoned
them.
5:27 When they had brought
them in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation.
5:28 'We gave you a formal
warning' he said 'not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have
filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of
this man's death on us.'
5:29 In reply Peter and the
apostles said, 'Obedience to God comes before obedience to men;
5:30 it was the God of our
ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging
on a tree.[*a]
5:31 By his own right hand God
has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and
forgiveness of sins through him to Israel.
5:32 We are witnesses to all
this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.'
5:33 This so infuriated them
that they wanted to put them to death.
Gamaliel's
intervention
5:34 One member of the
Sanhedrin, however, a Pharisee called Gamaliel, who was a doctor of the Law and
respected by the whole people,[*b] stood up and asked to have the men taken
outside for a time.
5:35 Then he addressed the
Sanhedrin, 'Men of Israel, be careful how you deal with these people.
5:36 There was Theudas who
became notorious not so long ago. He claimed to be someone important, and he
even collected about four hundred followers; but when he was killed, all his followers
scattered and that was the end of them.
5:37 And then there was Judas
the Galilean, at the time of the census, who attracted crowds of supporters;
but he got killed too, and all his followers dispersed.
5:38 What I suggest,
therefore, is that you leave these men alone and let them go. If this
enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its
own accord;
5:39 but if it does in fact
come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find
yourselves fighting against God.' His advice was accepted;
5:40 and they had the apostles
called in, gave orders for them to be flogged, warned them not to speak in the
name of Jesus and released them.
5:41 And so they left the
presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation
for the sake of the name.
5:42 They preached every day
both in the Temple and in private houses, and their proclamation of the Good
News of Christ Jesus was never interrupted.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 6
II. THE EARLIEST
MISSIONS
The institution of
the Seven
6:1 About this time, when the
number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the
Hebrews:[*a] in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked.
6:2 So the Twelve called a
full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, 'It would not be right for us
to neglect the word of God so as to give out food;
6:3 you, brothers, must select
from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and
with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them,
6:4 and continue to devote
ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word'.
6:5 The whole assembly
approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the
Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and
Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
6:6 They presented these to
the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.[*b]
6:7 The word of the Lord
continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly
increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.
Stephen's arrest
6:8 Stephen was filled with
grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.
6:9 But then certain people
came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were
members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen,[*c] and others from
Cilicia and Asia.
6:10 They found they could not
get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that
prompted what he said.
6:11 So they procured some men
to say, 'We heard him using blasphemous language against Moses and against
God'.
6:12 Having in this way turned
the people against him as well as the elders and scribes, they took Stephen by
surprise, and arrested him and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
6:13 There they put up false
witnesses to say, 'This man is always making speeches against this Holy Place
and the Law.
6:14 We have heard him say
that Jesus the Nazarene is going to destroy this Place and alter the traditions
that Moses handed down to us.'
6:15 The members of the
Sanhedrin all looked intently at Stephen, and his face appeared to them like
the face of an angel.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 7
Stephen's speech
7:1 The high priest asked, 'Is
this true?'
7:2 He replied, 'My brothers,
my fathers, listen to what I have to say. The God of glory appeared to our
ancestor Abraham, while he was in Mesopotamia before settling in Haran,
7:3 and said to him,
"Leave your country and your family and go to the land I will show
you".[*a]
7:4 So he left Chaldaea and
settled in Haran; and after his father died God made him leave Haran and come
to this land where you are living today.
7:5 God did not give him a
single square foot of this land to call his own, yet he promised to give it to
him and after him to his descendants, childless[*b] though he was.
7:6 The actual words God used
when he spoke to him are that his descendants would be exiles in a foreign
land, where they would be slaves and oppressed for four hundred years.
7:7 "But I will pass
judgement on the nation that enslaves them" God said "and after this
they will leave, and worship me in this place."[*c]
7:8 Then he made the covenant
of circumcision: so when his son Isaac was born he circumcised him on the
eighth day. Isaac did the same for Jacob, and Jacob for the twelve patriarchs.
7:9 The patriarchs were
jealous of Joseph and sold him into slavery in Egypt.[*d] But God was with
him,[*e]
7:10 and rescued him from all
his miseries by making him wise enough to attract the attention of Pharoah king
of Egypt, who made him governor of Egypt[*f] and put him in charge of the royal
household.
7:11 Then a famine came that
caused much suffering throughout Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestors could find
nothing to eat.
7:12 When Jacob heard that
there was grain for sale in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on a first
visit,
7:13 but it was on the second
that Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and told Pharaoh about his
family.
7:14 Joseph then sent for his
father Jacob and his whole family, a total of seventy-five people.
7:15 Jacob went down into
Egypt and after he and our ancestors had died there,
7:16 their bodies were brought
back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought and paid for
from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.
7:17 'As the time drew near
for God to fulfil the promise he had solemnly made to Abraham, our nation in
Egypt grew larger and larger,
7:18 until a new king came to
power in Egypt who knew nothing of[*g] Joseph.
7:19 He exploited our race,
and ill-treated our ancestors, forcing them to expose their babies to prevent
their surviving.
7:20 It was at this period
that Moses was born, a fine child and favoured by God. He was looked after for
three months in his father's house,
7:21 and after he had been
exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.
7:22 So Moses was taught all
the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a man with power both in his speech and
his actions.
7:23 'At the age of forty he
decided to visit his countrymen, the sons of Israel.
7:24 When he saw one of them
being ill-treated he went to his defence and rescued the man by killing the
Egyptian.
7:25 He thought his brothers
realised that through him God would liberate them, but they did not.
7:26 The next day, when he
came across some of them fighting, he tried to reconcile them. 'Friends,' he
said 'you are brothers; why are you hurting each other?'
7:27 But the man who was
attacking his fellow countryman pushed him aside. 'And who appointed you' he
said 'to be our leader and judge?
7:28 Do you intend to kill me
as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
7:29 Moses fled when he heard
this[*h] and he went to stay in the land of Midian, where he became the father
of two sons.
7:30 'Forty years later, in
the wilderness near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the flames of a
bush that was on fire.
7:31 Moses was amazed by what
he saw. As he went nearer to look at it the voice of the Lord was heard,
7:32 "I am the God of
your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob". Moses trembled and
did not dare to look any more.
7:33 The Lord said to him,
"Take off your shoes; the place where you are standing is holy ground.
7:34 I have seen the way my
people are ill-treated in Egypt, I have heard their groans, and I have come
down to liberate them. So come here and let me send you into Egypt."
7:35 'It was the same Moses
that they had disowned when they said, "Who appointed you to be our leader
and judge?" who was now sent to be both leader and redeemer through the
angel who had appeared to him in the bush.
7:36 It was Moses who, after
performing miracles and signs in Egypt, led them out across the Red Sea and
through the wilderness for forty years.[*i]
7:37 It was Moses who told the
sons of Israel, "God will raise up a prophet like myself for you from
among your own brothers".[*j]
7:38 When they held the
assembly in the wilderness it was only through Moses that our ancestors could
communicate with the angel who had spoken to him on Mount Sinai; it was he who
was entrusted with words of life to hand on to us.
7:39 This is the man that our
ancestors refused to listen to: they pushed him aside, turned back to Egypt in
their thoughts,
7:40 and said to Aaron,
"Make some gods to be our leaders; we do not understand what has come over
this Moses who led us out of Egypt".[*k]
7:41 It was then that they
made a bull calf and offered sacrifice to the idol. They were perfectly happy
with something they had made for themselves.
7:42 God turned away from them
and abandoned them to the worship of the army of heaven,[*l] as scripture says
in the book of the prophets: Did you bring me victims and sacrifices in the
wilderness for all those forty years, you House of Israel?
7:43 No, you carried the tent
of Moloch on your shoulders and the star of the god Rephan, those idols that
you had made to adore. So now I will exile you even further than Babylon.[*m]
7:44 'While they were in the
desert our ancestors possessed the Tent of Testimony that had been constructed
according to the instructions God gave Moses, telling him to make an exact copy
of the pattern[*n] he had been shown.
7:45 It was handed down from
one ancestor of ours to another until Joshua brought it into the country we had
conquered from the nations which were driven out by God as we advanced. Here it
stayed until the time of David.
7:46 He won God's favour and
asked permission to have a temple built for the House of Jacob,
7:47 though it was Solomon who
actually built God's house[*o] for him.
7:48 Even so the Most High
does not live in a house that human hands have built: for as the prophet says:
7:49 With heaven my throne and
earth my footstool, what house could you build me, what place could you make
for my rest?
7:50 Was not all this made by
my hand?[*p]
7:51 You stubborn people, with
your pagan hearts and pagan ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit,
just as your ancestors used to do.
7:52 Can you name a single prophet
your ancestors never persecuted? In the past they killed those who foretold the
coming of the Just One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers.
7:53 You who had the Law
brought to you by angels are the very ones who have not kept it.'
7:54 They were infuriated when
they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.
The stoning of
Stephen. Saul as persecutor
7:55 But Stephen, filled with
the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing
at God's right hand.
7:56 'I can see heaven thrown
open' he said 'and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'
7:57 At this all the members
of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they
all rushed at him,
7:58 sent him out of the city
and stoned him. The witnesses[*q] put down their clothes at the feet of a young
man called Saul.
7:59 As they were stoning him,
Stephen said in invocation, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit'.
7:60 Then he knelt down and
said aloud, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them'; and with these words he
fell asleep.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 8
8:1 Saul entirely approved of
the killing. That day a bitter persecution started against the church in
Jerusalem, and everyone[*a] except the apostles fled to the country districts
of Judaea and Samaria.
8:2 There were some devout
people, however, who buried Stephen and made great mourning for him.
8:3 Saul then worked for the
total destruction of the Church; he went from house to house arresting both men
and women and sending them to prison.
Philip in Samaria
8:4 Those who had escaped went
from place to place preaching the Good News.
8:5 One of them was Philip who
went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them.
8:6 The people united in
welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the
miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves.
8:7 There were, for example,
unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several
paralytics and cripples were cured.
8:8 As a result there was
great rejoicing in that town.
Simon the magician
8:9 Now a man called Simon had
already practised magic arts in the town and astounded the Samaritan people. He
had given it out that he was someone momentous,
8:10 and everyone believed
what he said; eminent citizens and ordinary people alike had declared, 'He is
the divine power that is called Great'.
8:11 They had only been won
over to him because of the long time he had spent working on them with his
magic.
8:12 But when they believed
Philip's preaching of the Good News about the kingdom of God and the name of
Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women,
8:13 and even Simon himself
became a believer. After his baptism Simon, who went round constantly with
Philip, was astonished when he saw the wonders and great miracles that took
place.
8:14 When the apostles in
Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and
John to them,
8:15 and they went down there,
and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit,
8:16 for as yet he had not
come down on any of them: they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord
Jesus.
8:17 Then they laid hands on
them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
8:18 When Simon saw that the
Spirit was given through the imposition of hands by the apostles, he offered
them some money.
8:19 'Give me the same power'
he said 'so that anyone I lay my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.'
8:20 Peter answered, 'May your
silver be lost forever, and you with it, for thinking that money could buy what
God has given for nothing!
8:21 You have no share, no
rights, in this: God can see how your heart is warped.
8:22 Repent of this wickedness
of yours, and pray to the Lord; you may still be forgiven for thinking as you
did;
8:23 it is plain to me that
you are trapped in the bitterness of gall and the chains of sin.'
8:24 'Pray to the Lord for me
yourselves' Simon replied 'so that none of the things you have spoken about may
happen to me.'
8:25 Having given their
testimony and proclaimed the word of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem,
preaching the Good News to a number of Samaritan villages.
Philip baptises a
eunuch
8:26 The angel of the Lord
spoke to Philip saying, 'Be ready to set out at noon along the road that goes
from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road'.
8:27 So he set off on his
journey. Now it happened that an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem;
he was a eunuch and an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of
Ethiopia, and was in fact her chief treasurer.
8:28 He was now on his way
home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
8:29 The Spirit said to
Philip, 'Go up and meet that chariot'.
8:30 When Philip ran up, he
heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, 'Do you understand what you are
reading?'
8:31 'How can I' he replied
'unless I have someone to guide me?' So he invited Philip to get in and sit by
his side.
8:32 Now the passage of
scripture he was reading was this: Like a sheep that is led to the
slaughter-house, like a lamb that is dumb in front of its shearers, like these
he never opens his mouth.
8:33 He has been humiliated
and has no one to defend him. Who will ever talk about his descendants, since
his life on earth has been cut short![*b]
8:34 The eunuch turned to
Philip and said, 'Tell me, is the prophet referring to himself or someone
else?'
8:35 Starting, therefore, with
this text of scripture Philip proceeded to explain the Good News of Jesus to him.
8:36 Further along the road
they came to some water, and the eunuch said, 'Look, there is some water here;
is there anything to stop me being baptised?'[*c]
8:38 He ordered the chariot to
stop, then Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water and Philip
baptised him.
8:39 But after they had come
up out of the water again Philip was taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, and
the eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.
8:40 Philip found that he had
reached Azotus and continued his journey proclaiming the Good News in every
town as far as Caesarea.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 9
The conversion of
Saul
9:1 Meanwhile Saul was still
breathing threats to slaughter the Lord's disciples. He had gone to the high
priest
9:2 and asked for letters
addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorise him to arrest and
take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he could find.
9:3 Suddenly, while he was
travelling to Damascus and just before he reached the city, there came a light
from heaven all round him.
9:4 He fell to the ground, and
then he heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
9:5 'Who are you, Lord?' he
asked, and the voice answered, 'I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me.
9:6 Get up now and go into the
city, and you will be told what you have to do.'
9:7 The men travelling with
Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no
one.
9:8 Saul got up from the
ground, but even with his eyes wide open he could see nothing at all, and they
had to lead him into Damascus by the hand.
9:9 For three days he was
without his sight, and took neither food nor drink.
9:10 A disciple called Ananias
who lived in Damascus had a vision in which he heard the Lord say to him, 'Ananias!'
When he replied, 'Here I am, Lord',
9:11 the Lord said, 'You must
go to Straight Street and ask the house of Judas for someone called Saul, who
comes from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying,
9:12 having had a vision of a
man called Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to give him back his
sight.'
9:13 When he heard that,
Ananias said, 'Lord, several people have told me about this man and all the
harm he has been doing to your saints in Jerusalem.
9:14 He has only come here
because he holds a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who
invokes your name.'
9:15 The Lord replied, 'You
must go all the same, because this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name
before pagans and pagan kings and before the people of Israel;
9:16 I myself will show him
how much he himself must suffer for my name'.
9:17 Then Ananias went. He
entered the house, and at once laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul,
I have been sent by the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on your way here so that
you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit'.
9:18 Immediately it was as
though scales fell away from Saul's eyes and he could see again. So he was
baptised there and then,
9:19 and after taking some
food he regained his strength.
Saul's preaching at
Damascus
After he had spent only a few
days with the disciples in Damascus,
9:20 he began preaching in the
synagogues, 'Jesus is the Son of God'.
9:21 All his hearers were
amazed. 'Surely' they said 'this is the man who organised the attack in
Jerusalem against the people who invoke this name, and who came here for the
sole purpose of arresting them to have them tried by the chief priests?'
9:22 Saul's power increased
steadily, and he was able to throw the Jewish colony at Damascus into complete
confusion by the way be demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ.
9:23 Some time passed,[*a] and
the Jews worked out a plot to kill him,
9:24 but news of it reached
Saul. To make sure of killing him they kept watch on the gates day and night,
9:25 but when it was dark the
disciples took him and let him down from the top of the wall, lowering him in a
basket.
Saul's visit to
Jerusalem
9:26 When he got to Jerusalem
he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him: they could not
believe he was really a disciple.
9:27 Barnabas, however, took
charge of him, introduced him to the apostles, and explained how the Lord had
appeared to Saul and spoken to him on his journey, and how he had preached
boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
9:28 Saul now started to go
round with them in Jerusalem, preaching fearlessly in the name of the Lord.
9:29 But after he had spoken
to the Hellenists, and argued with them, they became determined to kill him.
9:30 When the brothers knew,
they took him to Caesarea, and sent him off from there to Tarsus.
A lull
9:31 The churches throughout
Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up,
living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy
Spirit.
Peter cures a
paralytic at Lydda
9:32 Peter visited one place
after another and eventually came to the saints living down in Lydda.
9:33 There he found a man
called Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.
9:34 Peter said to him,
'Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you: get up and fold up your sleeping mat'. Aeneas
got up immediately;
9:35 everybody who lived in
Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were all converted to the Lord.
Peter raises a
woman to life at Jaffa
9:36 At Jaffa there was a
woman disciple called Tabitha, or Dorcas in Greek,[*b] who never tired of doing
good or giving in charity.
9:37 But the time came when
she got ill and died, and they washed her and laid her out in a room upstairs.
9:38 Lydda is not far from
Jaffa, so when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men with
an urgent message for him, 'Come and visit us as soon as possible'.
9:39 Peter went back with them
straightaway, and on his arrival they took him to the upstairs room, where all
the widows stood round him in tears, showing him tunics and other clothes
Dorcas had made when she was with them.
9:40 Peter sent them all out
of the room and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the dead woman and
said, 'Tabitha, stand up'. She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up.
9:41 Peter helped her to her
feet, then he called in the saints and widows and showed them she was alive.
9:42 The whole of Jaffa heard
about it and many believed in the Lord.
9:43 Peter stayed on some time
in Jaffa, lodging with a leather-tanner called Simon.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 10
Peter visits a
Roman centurion
10:1 One of the centurions of
the Italica cohort stationed in Caesarea was called Cornelius.
10:2 He and the whole of his
household were devout and God-fearing, and he gave generously to Jewish causes
and prayed constantly to God.
10:3 One day at about the
ninth hour he had a vision in which he distinctly saw the angel of God come
into his house and call out to him, 'Cornelius!'
10:4 He stared at the vision
in terror and exclaimed, 'What is it, Lord?' 'Your offering of prayers and
alms' the angel answered 'has been accepted by God.
10:5 Now you must send someone
to Jaffa and fetch a man called Simon, known as Peter,
10:6 who is lodging with Simon
the tanner whose house is by the sea.'
10:7 When the angel who said
this had gone, Cornelius called two of the slaves and a devout soldier of his
staff,
10:8 told them what had
happened, and sent them off to Jaffa.
10:9 Next day, while they were
still on their journey and had only a short distance to go before reaching
Jaffa, Peter went to the housetop at about the sixth hour to pray.
10:10 He felt hungry and was
looking forward to his meal, but before it was ready he fell into a trance
10:11 and saw heaven thrown
open and something like a big sheet being let down to earth by its four
corners;
10:12 it contained every
possible sort of animal and bird, walking, crawling or flying ones.
10:13 A voice then said to
him, 'Now, Peter; kill and eat!'
10:14 But Peter answered,
'Certainly not, Lord; I have never yet eaten anything profane or unclean'.
10:15 Again, a second time,
the voice spoke to him, 'What God has made clean, you have no right to call
profane'.
10:16 This was repeated three
times, and then suddenly the container was drawn up to heaven again.
10:17 Peter was still worrying
over the meaning of the vision he had seen, when the men sent by Cornelius
arrived. They had asked where Simon's house was and they were now standing at
the door,
10:18 calling out to know if
the Simon known as Peter was lodging there.
10:19 Peter's mind was still
on the vision and the Spirit had to tell him, 'Some men have come to see you.
10:20 Hurry down, and do not
hesitate about going back with them; it was I who told them to come.'
10:21 Peter went down and said
to them, 'I am the man you are looking for; why have you come?'
10:22 They said, 'The
centurion Cornelius, who is an upright and God-fearing man, highly regarded by
the entire Jewish people, was directed by a holy angel to send for you and
bring you to his house and to listen to what you have to say'.
10:23 So Peter asked them in
and gave them lodging. Next day, he was ready to go off with them, accompanied
by some of the brothers from Jaffa.
10:24 They reached Caesarea
the following day, and Cornelius was waiting for them. He had asked his
relations and close friends to be there,
10:25 and as Peter reached the
house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself.
10:26 But Peter helped him up.
'Stand up,' he said 'I am only a man after all!'
10:27 Talking together they
went in to meet all the people assembled there,
10:28 and Peter said to them,
'You know it is forbidden for Jews to mix with people of another race and visit
them, but God has made it clear to me that I must not call anyone profane or
unclean.
10:29 That is why I made no
objection to coming when I was sent for; but I should like to know exactly why
you sent for me.'
10:30 Cornelius replied,
'Three days ago I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, when I suddenly
saw a man in front of me in shining robes.
10:31 He said,
"Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been accepted as
a sacrifice in the sight of God;
10:32 so now you must send to
Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter who is lodging in the house of Simon the
tanner, by the sea".
10:33 So I sent for you at
once, and you have been kind enough to come. Here we all are, assembled in
front of you to hear what message God has given you for us.'
Peter's address in
the house of Cornelius
10:34 Then Peter addressed
them: 'The truth I have now come to realise' he said 'is that God does not have
favourites,
10:35 but that anybody of any
nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
10:36 'It is true, God sent
his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the good news of
peace was brought[*a] by Jesus Christ - but Jesus Christ is Lord of all men.
10:37 You must have heard
about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began
in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism.
10:38 God had anointed him
with the Holy Spirit[*b] and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus
went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the
devil.
10:39 Now I, and those with
me, can witness to everything he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and
in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact that they killed him by hanging him
on a tree,
10:40 yet three days
afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen,
10:41 not by the whole people
but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand. Now we are those
witnesses - we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the
dead -
10:42 and he has ordered us to
proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to
judge everyone, alive or dead.
10:43 It is to him that all
the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their
sins forgiven through his name.'
Baptism of the
first pagans
10:44 While Peter was still
speaking the Holy Spirit came down on all the listeners.
10:45 Jewish believers who had
accompanied Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should be
poured out on the pagans too,
10:46 since they could hear
them speaking strange languages and proclaiming the greatness of God. Peter
himself then said,
10:47 'Could anyone refuse the
water of baptism to these people, now they have received the Holy Spirit just
as much as we have?'
10:48 He then gave orders for
them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterwards they begged him to
stay on for some days.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 11
Jerusalem: Peter
justifies his conduct
11:1 The apostles and the
brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God,
11:2 and when Peter came up to
Jerusalem the Jews criticised him
11:3 and said, 'So you have
been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?'
11:4 Peter in reply gave them
the details point by point:
11:5 'One day, when I was in
the town of Jaffa,' he began 'I fell into a trance as I was praying and had a
vision of something like a big sheet being let down from heaven by its four
corners. This sheet reached the ground quite close to me.
11:6 I watched it intently and
saw all sorts of animals and wild beasts - everything possible that could walk,
crawl or fly.
11:7 Then I heard a voice that
said to me, "Now, Peter; kill and eat!"
11:8 But I answered: Certainly
not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips.
11:9 And a second time the
voice spoke from heaven, "What God has made clean, you have no right to
call profane".
11:10 This was repeated three
times, before the whole of it was drawn up to heaven again.
11:11 Just at that moment, three
men stopped outside the house where we were staying; they had been sent from
Caesarea to fetch me,
11:12 and the Spirit told me
to have no hesitation about going back with them. The six brothers here came
with me as well, and we entered the man's house.
11:13 He told us he had seen
an angel standing in his house who said, "Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon
known as Peter;
11:14 he has a message for you
that will save you and your entire household".
11:15 I had scarcely begun to
speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same way as it came on us
at the beginning,
11:16 and I remembered that
the Lord had said, "John baptised with water, but you will be baptised
with the Holy Spirit".
11:17 I realised then that God
was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord
Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God's way?'
11:18 This account satisfied
them, and they gave glory to God. 'God' they said 'can evidently grant even the
pagans the repentance that leads to life.'
Foundation of the
church of Antioch
11:19 Those who had escaped
during the persecution that happened because of Stephen travelled as far as
Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch,[*a] but they usually proclaimed the message
only to Jews.
11:20 Some of them, however,
who came from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch where they started preaching
to the Greeks, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Jesus to them as well.
11:21 The Lord helped them,
and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.
11:22 The church in Jerusalem
heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
11:23 There he could see for
himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion;
11:24 for he was a good man,
filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were
won over to the Lord.
11:25 Barnabas then left for
Tarsus to look for Saul,
11:26 and when he found him he
brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that
church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch
that the disciples were first called 'Christians'.
Barnabas and Saul
sent as deputies to Jerusalem
11:27 While they were there
some prophets[*b] came down to Antioch from Jerusalem,
11:28 and one of them whose
name was Agabus, seized by the Spirit, stood up and predicted that a famine
would spread over the whole empire. This in fact happened before the reign of
Claudius came to an end.[*c]
11:29 The disciples decided to
send relief, each to contribute what he could afford, to the brothers living in
Judaea.
11:30 They did this and
delivered their contributions to the elders in the care of Barnabas and Saul.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 12
Peter's arrest and
miraculous deliverance[*a]
12:1 It was about this time
that King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church.
12:2 He beheaded James the
brother of John,
12:3 and when he saw that this
pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well.
12:4 This was during the days
of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four
soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after
the end of Passover week.
12:5 All the time Peter was
under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.
12:6 On the night before Herod
was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double
chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison.
12:7 Then suddenly the angel
of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on
the side and woke him. 'Get up!' he said 'Hurry!' - and the chains fell from
his hands.
12:8 The angel then said, 'Put
on your belt and sandals'. After he had done this, the angel next said, 'Wrap
your cloak round you and follow me'.
12:9 Peter followed him, but
had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he
was seeing a vision.
12:10 They passed through two
guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city.
This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole
length of one street when suddenly the angel left him.
12:11 It was only then that
Peter came to himself. 'Now I know it is all true' he said. The Lord really did
send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people
were so certain would happen to me.'
12:12 As soon as he realised
this he went straight to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark,[*b] where a
number of people had assembled and were praying.
12:13 He knocked at the
outside door and a servant called Rhoda came to answer it.
12:14 She recognised Peter's
voice and was so overcome with joy that, instead of opening the door, she ran
inside with the news that Peter was standing at the main entrance.
12:15 They said to her, 'You
are out of your mind', but she insisted that it was true. Then they said, 'It
must be his angel!'
12:16 Peter, meanwhile, was
still knocking, so they opened the door and were amazed to see that it really
was Peter himself.
12:17 With a gesture of his
hand he stopped them talking, and described to them how the Lord had led him
out of prison. He added, 'Tell James and the brothers'. Then he left and went
another place.
12:18 When daylight came there
was a great commotion among the soldiers, who could not imagine what had become
of Peter.
12:19 Herod put out an
unsuccessful search for him; he had the guards questioned, and before leaving
Judaea to take up residence in Caesarea he gave orders for their execution.
The death of the
persecutor
12:20 Now Herod was on bad
terms with the Tyrians and Sidonians. However, they sent a joint deputation
which managed to enlist the support of Blastus, the king's chamberlain, and
through him negotiated a treaty, since their country depended for its food
supply on King Herod's territory.
12:21 A day was fixed, and
Herod, wearing his robes of state and enthroned on a dais, made a speech to
them.
12:22 The people acclaimed him
with, 'It is a god speaking, not a man!',
12:23 and at that moment the
angel of the Lord struck him down, because he had not given the glory to God.
He was eaten away with worms and died.
Barnabas and Saul return to
Antioch
12:24 The word of God
continued to spread and to gain followers.
12:25 Barnabas and Saul
completed their task and came back from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with
them.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 13
III. THE MISSION OF
BARNABAS AND PAUL
THE COUNCIL OF
JERUSALEM
The mission sent
out
13:1 In the church at Antioch
the following were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, and
Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and
Saul.
13:2 One day while they were
offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, 'I want
Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them'.
13:3 So it was that after
fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Cyprus: the
magician Elymas
13:4 So these two, sent on
their mission by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed
to Cyprus.
13:5 They landed at Salamis
and proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; John acted as
their assistant.
13:6 They travelled the whole
length of the island, and at Paphos they came in contact with a Jewish magician
called Bar-jesus.
13:7 This false prophet was
one of the attendants of the proconsul Sergius Paulus who was an extremely
intelligent man. The proconsul summoned Barnabas and Saul and asked to hear the
word of God,
13:8 but Elymas Magos-as he
was called in Greek-tried to stop them so as to prevent the proconsul's
conversion to the faith.
13:9 Then Saul, whose other
name is Paul, looked him full in the face
13:10 and said, 'You utter fraud,
you impostor, you son of the devil, you enemy of all true religion, why don't
you stop twisting the straightforward ways of the Lord?
13:11 Now watch how the hand
of the Lord will strike you: you will be blind, and for a time you will not see
the sun.' That instant, everything went misty and dark for him, and he groped
about to find someone to lead him by the hand.
13:12 The proconsul, who had
watched everything, became a believer, being astonished by what he had learnt
about the Lord.
They arrive at
Antioch in Pisidia
13:13 Paul and his friends
went by sea from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia where John left them to go back
to Jerusalem.
13:14 The others carried on
from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to synagogue on
the sabbath and took their seats.
13:15 After the lessons from
the Law and the Prophets had been read, the presidents of the synagogue sent
them a message: 'Brothers, if you would like to address some words of
encouragement to the congregation, please do so'.
13:16 Paul stood up, held up a
hand for silence and began to speak:
Paul's preaching
before the Jews
'Men of Israel, and fearers of
God, listen!
13:17 The God of our nation
Israel chose our ancestors, and made our people great when they were living as
foreigners in Egypt; then by divine power he led them out,
13:18 and for about forty
years took care of them in the wilderness.
13:19 When he had destroyed
seven nations in Canaan, he put them in possession[*a] of their land
13:20 for about four hundred
and fifty years. After this he gave them judges, down to the prophet Samuel.
13:21 Then they demanded a
king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of
13:22 Benjamin. After forty
years, he deposed him and made David their king, of whom he approved in these
words, "I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who
will carry out my whole purpose".[*b]
13:23 To keep his promise, God
has raised up for Israel one of David's descendants, Jesus, as Saviour,
13:24 whose coming was
heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole
people of Israel.
13:25 Before John ended his
career he said, "I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming
after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal".
13:26 'My brothers, sons of
Abraham's race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant
for you.
13:27 What the people of
Jerusalem and their rulers did, though they did not realise it, was in fact to
fulfil the prophecies read on every sabbath.
13:28 Though they found
nothing to justify his death, they condemned him and asked Pilate to have him
executed.
13:29 When they had carried
out everything that scripture foretells about him they took him down from the
tree and buried him in a tomb.
13:30 But God raised him from
the dead,
13:31 and for many days he
appeared to those who had accompanied him from Galilee to Jerusalem: and it is
these same companions of his who are now his witnesses before our people.
13:32 'We have come here to
tell you the Good News. It was to our ancestors that God made the promise but
13:33 it is to us, their
children, that he has fulfilled it, by raising Jesus from the dead. As
scripture says in the first psalm: You are my son: today I have become your
father.
13:34 The fact that God raised
him from the dead, never to return to corruption, is no more than what he had
declared: To you I shall give the sure and holy things promised to David.[*c]
13:35 This is explained by
another text: You will not allow your holy one to experience corruption.[*d]
13:36 Now when David in his
own time had served God's purposes he died; he was buried with his ancestors
and has certainly experienced corruption.
13:37 The one whom God has
raised up, however, has not experienced corruption.
13:38 'My brothers, I want you
to realise that it is through him that forgiveness of your sins is proclaimed.
Through him justification from all sins which the Law of Moses was unable to
justify
13:39 is offered to every
believer.
13:40 'So be careful - or what
the prophets say will happen to you.
13:41 Cast your eyes around
you, mockers; be amazed, and perish! For I am doing something in your own days
that you would not believe if you were to be told of it.'[*e]
13:42 As they left they were
asked to preach on the same theme the following sabbath.
13:43 When the meeting broke
up many Jews and devout converts joined Paul and Barnabas and in their talks
with them Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had
given them.
Paul and Barnabas
preach to the pagans
13:44 The next sabbath almost
the whole town assembled to hear the word of God.
13:45 When they saw the
crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted
everything Paul said.
13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas
spoke out boldly. 'We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since
you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life,
we must turn to the pagans.
13:47 For this is what the
Lord commanded us to do when he said: I have made you a light for the nations,
so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.'[*f]
13:48 It made the pagans very
happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were
destined for eternal life became believers.
13:49 Thus the word of the
Lord spread through the whole countryside.
13:50 But the Jews worked upon
some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city
and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their
territory.
13:51 So they shook the dust
from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium;
13:52 but the disciples were
filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 14
Iconium evangelised
14:1 At Iconium they went to
the Jewish synagogue, as they had at Antioch, and they spoke so effectively
that a great many Jews and Greeks became believers.
14:2 Some of the Jews,
however, refused to believe, and they poisoned the minds of the pagans against
the brothers.[*a]
14:3 Accordingly Paul and
Barnabas stayed on for some time, preaching fearlessly for the Lord; and the
Lord supported all they said about his gift of grace, allowing signs and
wonders to be performed by them.
14:4 The people in the city
were divided, some supported the Jews, others the apostles,
14:5 but eventually with the
connivance of the authorities a move was made by pagans as well as Jews to make
attacks on them and to stone them.
14:6 When the apostles came to
hear of this, they went off for safety to Lycaonia where, in the towns of
Lystra and Derbe and in the surrounding country,
14:7 they preached the Good
News.
Healing of a
cripple
14:8 A man sat there[*b] who
had never walked in his life, because his feet were crippled from birth;
14:9 and as he listened to
Paul preaching, he managed to catch his eye. Seeing that the man had the faith
to be cured,
14:10 Paul said in a loud
voice, 'Get to your feet - stand up', and the cripple jumped up and began to
walk.
14:11 When the crowd saw what
Paul had done they shouted in the language of Lycaonia, 'These people are gods
who have come down to us disguised as men'.
14:12 They addressed Barnabas
as Zeus, and since Paul was the principal speaker they called him Hermes.[*c]
14:13 The priests of
Zeus-outside-the-Gate, proposing that all the people should offer sacrifice
with them, brought garlanded oxen to the gates.
14:14 When the apostles
Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening they tore their clothes,[*d] and
rushed into the crowd, shouting,
14:15 'Friends, what do you
think you are doing? We are only human beings like you. We have come with good
news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God who made heaven
and earth and the sea and all that these hold.
14:16 In the past he allowed
each nation to go its own way;
14:17 but even then he did not
leave you without evidence of himself in the good things he does for you: he
sends you rain from heaven, he makes your crops grow when they should, he gives
you food and makes you happy.'
14:18 Even this speech,
however, was scarcely enough to stop the crowd offering them sacrifice.
The mission is
disrupted
14:19 Then some Jews arrived
from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They
stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead.
14:20 The disciples came
crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town.
The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.
14:21 Having preached the Good
News in that town and made a considerable number of disciples, they went back
through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch.
14:22 They put fresh heart
into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. 'We all have to
experience many hardships' they said 'before we enter the kingdom of God.'
14:23 In each of these
churches they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting they commended them
to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.
14:24 They passed through
Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
14:25 Then after proclaiming
the word at Perga they went down to Attalia
14:26 and from there sailed
for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for
the work they had now completed.
14:27 On their arrival they
assembled the church and gave an account of all that God had done with them,
and how he had opened the door of faith to the pagans.
14:28 They stayed there with
the disciples for some time.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 15
Controversy at
Antioch
15:1 Then some men came down
from Judaea[*a] and taught the brothers, 'Unless you have yourselves
circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved'.
15:2 This led to disagreement,
and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was
arranged that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to
Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders.
15:3 All the members of the
church saw them off, and as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria they told
how the pagans had been converted, and this news was received with the greatest
satisfaction by the brothers.
15:4 When they arrived in
Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church and by the apostles and elders, and
gave an account of all that God had done with them.
Controversy at
Jerusalem
15:5 But certain members of
the Pharisees' party who had become believers objected, insisting that the
pagans should be circumcised and instructed to keep the Law of Moses.
15:6 The apostles and elders
met to look into the matter,
15:7 and after the discussion
had gone on a long time, Peter stood up and addressed them.
Peter's speech
'My brothers,' he said 'you
know perfectly well that in the early days God made his choice among you: the
pagans were to learn the Good News from me and so become believers.
15:8 In fact God, who can read
everyone's heart, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them
just as he had to us.
15:9 God made no distinction
between them and us, since he purified their hearts by faith.
15:10 It would only provoke
God's anger now, surely, if you imposed on the disciples the very burden that
neither we nor our ancestors were strong enough to support?
15:11 Remember, we believe
that we are saved in the same way as they are: through the grace of the Lord
Jesus.'
15:12 This silenced the entire
assembly, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and
wonders God had worked through them among the pagans.
James' speech
15:13 When they had finished
it was James who spoke. 'My brothers,' he said 'listen to me.
15:14 Simeon[*b] has described
how God first arranged to enlist a people for his name out of the pagans.
15:15 This is entirely in
harmony with the words of the prophets, since the scriptures say:
15:16 After that I shall
return and rebuild the fallen House of David; I shall rebuild it from its ruins
and restore it.
15:17 Then the rest of
mankind,all the pagans who are consecrated to my name, will look for the Lord,
says the Lord who made this
15:18 known so long ago.[*c]
15:19 'I rule, then, that
instead of making things more difficult for pagans who turn to God,
15:20 we send them a letter
telling them merely to abstain from anything polluted by idols,[*d] from
fornication,[*e] from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
15:21 For Moses has always had
his preachers in every town, and is read aloud in the synagogues every
sabbath.'
The apostolic
letter
15:22 Then the apostles and
elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas;
the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas and
Silas,[*f] both leading men in the brotherhood,
15:23 and gave them this
letter to take with them: 'The apostles and elders, your brothers, send
greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.
15:24 We hear that some of our
members have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds.
They acted without any authority from us;
15:25 and so we have decided
unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with Barnabas and Paul,
men we highly respect
15:26 who have dedicated their
lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:27 Accordingly we are
sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have
written in this letter.
15:28 It has been decided by
the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these
essentials:
15:29 you are to abstain from
food sacrificed to idols; from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and
from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. Farewell.'
The delegates at
Antioch
15:30 The party left and went
down to Antioch, where they summoned the whole community and delivered the
letter.
15:31 The community read it
and were delighted with the encouragement it gave them.
15:32 Judas and Silas, being
themselves prophets, spoke for a long time, encouraging and strengthening the
brothers.
15:33 These two spent some
time there, and then the brothers wished them peace and they went back to those
who had sent them.
15:35 Paul and Barnabas,
however, stayed on in Antioch, and there with many others they taught and
proclaimed the Good News, the word of the Lord.
IV. PAUL'S MISSIONS
Paul separates from
Barnabas and recruits Silas
15:36 On a later occasion Paul
said to Barnabas, 'Let us go back and visit all the towns where we preached the
word of the Lord, so that we can see how the brothers are doing'.
15:37 Barnabas suggested
taking John Mark,
15:38 but Paul was not in
favour of taking along the very man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had
refused to share in their work.
15:39 After a violent quarrel
they parted company, and Barnabas sailed off with Mark to Cyprus.
15:40 Before Paul left, he
chose Silas to accompany him and was commended by the brothers to the grace of
God.
Lycaonia: Paul
recruits Timothy
15:41 He travelled through
Syria and Cilicia, consolidating the churches.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 16
16:1 From there he went to
Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, whose
mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek.
16:2 The brothers at Lystra
and Iconium spoke well of Timothy,
16:3 and Paul, who wanted to
have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of
the Jews in the locality where everyone knew his father was a Greek.
16:4 As they visited one town
after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders
in Jerusalem, with instructions to respect them.
16:5 So the churches grew
strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers.
The crossing into
Asia Minor
16:6 They travelled through
Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been told by the Holy Spirit not to
preach the word in Asia.
16:7 When they reached the
frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of
Jesus would not allow them,
16:8 they went through Mysia
and came down to Troas.
16:9 One night Paul had a
vision: a Macedonian appeared and appealed to him in these words, 'Come across
to Macedonia and help us'.
16:10 Once he had seen this
vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God
had called us to bring them the Good News.
Arrival at Philippi
16:11 Sailing from Troas we
made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis,
16:12 and from there for
Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of
Macedonia. After a few days in this city
16:13 we went along the river
outside the gates as it was the sabbath and this was a customary place for
prayer.[*a] We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting.
16:14 One of these women was
called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the
purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept
what Paul was saying.
16:15 After she and her
household had been baptised she sent us an invitation: 'If you really think me
a true believer in the Lord,' she said 'come and stay with us'; and she would
take no refusal.
Imprisonment of
Paul and Silas
16:16 One day as we were going
to prayer, we met a slave-girl who was a soothsayer and made a lot of money for
her masters by telling fortunes.
16:17 This girl started
following Paul and the rest of us and shouting, 'Here are the servants of the
Most High God; they have come to tell you how to be saved!'
16:18 She did this every day
afterwards until Paul lost his temper one day and turned round and said to the
spirit, 'I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to leave that woman'. The
spirit went out of her then and there.
16:19 When her masters saw
that there was no hope of making any more money out of her, they seized Paul
and Silas and dragged them to the law courts in the market place
16:20 where they charged them
before the magistrates and said, 'These people are causing a disturbance in our
city. They are Jews
16:21 and are advocating
practices which it is unlawful for us as Romans to accept or follow.'[*b]
16:22 The crowd joined in and
showed their hostility to them, so the magistrates had them stripped and
ordered them to be flogged.
16:23 They were given many
lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close
watch on them.
16:24 So, following his
instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in
the stocks.
The miraculous
deliverance of Paul and Silas
16:25 Late that night Paul and
Silas were praying and singing God's praises, while the other prisoners
listened.
16:26 Suddenly there was an
earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open
and the chains fell from all the prisoners.
16:27 When the gaoler woke and
saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commit suicide,
presuming that the prisoners had escaped.
16:28 But Paul shouted at the
top of his voice, 'Don't do yourself any harm; we are all here'.
16:29 The gaoler called for
lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas,
16:30 and escorted them out,
saying, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'
16:31 They told him, 'Become a
believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too'.
16:32 Then they preached the
word of the Lord to him and to all his family.
16:33 Late as it was, he took
them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with all his
household.
16:34 Afterwards he took them
home and gave them a meal, and the whole family celebrated their conversion to
belief in God.
16:35 When it was daylight the
magistrates sent the officers with the order: 'Release those men'.
16:36 The gaoler reported the
message to Paul, 'The magistrates have sent an order for your release; you can
go now and be on your way'.
16:37 'What!' Paul replied
'They flog Roman citizens in public and without trial and throw us into prison,
and then think they can push us out on the quiet! Oh no! They must come and
escort us out themselves.'
16:38 The officers reported
this to the magistrates, who were horrified to hear the men were Roman
citizens.
16:39 They came and begged
them to leave the town. From the prison they went to Lydia's house where they
saw all the brothers and gave them some encouragement; then they left.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 17
Thessalonika:
difficulties with the Jews
17:1 Passing through
Amphipolis and Apollonia, they eventually reached Thessalonika, where there was
a Jewish synagogue.
17:2 Paul as usual introduced
himself and for three consecutive sabbaths developed the arguments from
scripture for them,
17:3 explaining and proving
how it was ordained that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead. 'And
the Christ' he said 'is this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.'
17:4 Some of them were
convinced and joined Paul and Silas, and so did a great many God-fearing people
and Greeks, as well as a number of rich women.
17:5 The Jews, full of
resentment, enlisted the help of a gang from the market place, stirred up a
crowd, and soon had the whole city in an uproar. They made for Jason's house,
hoping to find them there and drag them off to the People's Assembly;
17:6 however, they only found
Jason and some of the brothers, and these they dragged before the city council,
shouting, 'The people who have been turning the whole world upside down have
come here now;
17:7 they have been staying at
Jason's. They have broken every one of Caesar's edicts by claiming that there
is another emperor, Jesus.'
17:8 This accusation alarmed
the citizens and the city councillors
17:9 and they made Jason and
the rest give security before setting them free.
Fresh difficulties
at Beroea
17:10 When it was dark the
brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away to Beroea, where they visited the
Jewish synagogue as soon as they arrived.
17:11 Here the Jews were more
open-minded than those in Thessalonika, and they welcomed the word very
readily; every day they studied the scriptures to check whether it was true.
17:12 Many Jews became
believers, and so did many Greek women from the upper classes and a number of
the men.
17:13 When the Jews of
Thessalonika heard that the word of God was being preached by Paul in Beroea as
well, they went there to make trouble and stir up the people.
17:14 So the brothers arranged
for Paul to go immediately as far as the coast, leaving Silas and Timothy
behind.
17:15 Paul's escort took him
as far as Athens, and went back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to
rejoin Paul as soon as they could.
Paul in Athens
17:16 Paul waited for them in
Athens and there his whole soul was revolted at the sight of a city given over
to idolatry.
17:17 In the synagogue he held
debates with the Jews and the God-fearing, but in the market place he had
debates every day with anyone who would face him.
17:18 Even a few Epicurean and
Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, 'Does this parrot know what he's
talking about?' And, because he was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection,
others said, 'He sounds like a propagandist for some outlandish gods'.[*a]
17:19 They invited him to
accompany them to the Council of the Areopagus, where they said to him, 'How
much of this new teaching you were speaking about are we allowed to know?
17:20 Some of the things you
said seemed startling to us and we would like to find out what they mean.'
17:21 The one amusement the
Athenians and the foreigners living there seem to have, apart from discussing
the latest ideas, is listening to lectures about them.
17:22 So Paul stood before the
whole Council of the Areopagus and made this speech:
Paul's speech
before the Council of the Areopagus
'Men of Athens, I have seen
for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters,
17:23 because I noticed, as I
strolled round admiring your sacred monuments, that you had an altar inscribed:
To An Unknown God. Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you
already worship without knowing it.
17:24 'Since the God who made
the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not
make his home in shrines made by human hands.
17:25 Nor is he dependent on
anything that human hands can do for him, since he can never be in need of
anything; on the contrary, it is he who gives everything - including life and
breath - to everyone.
17:26 From one single stock he
not only created the whole human race so that they could occupy the entire
earth, but he decreed how long each nation should flourish and what the
boundaries of its territory should be.
17:27 And he did this so that
all nations might seek the deity and, by feeling their way towards him, succeed
in finding him. Yet in fact he is not far from any of us,
17:28 since it is in him that
we live, and move, and exist,[*b] as indeed some of your own writers have said:
"We are all his children".[*c]
17:29 'Since we are the
children of God, we have no excuse for thinking that the deity looks like
anything in gold, silver or stone that has been carved and designed by a man.
17:30 'God overlooked that
sort of thing when men were ignorant, but now he is telling everyone everywhere
that they must repent,
17:31 because he has fixed a
day when the whole world will be judged, and judged in righteousness, and he
has appointed a man to be the judge. And God has publicly proved this by
raising this man from the dead.'
17:32 At this mention of
rising from the dead, some of them burst out laughing; others said, 'We would
like to hear you talk about this again'.
17:33 After that Paul left
them,
17:34 but there were some who
attached themselves to him and became believers, among them Dionysius the
Areopagite and a woman called Damaris, and others besides.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 18
Foundation of the
church of Corinth
18:1 After this Paul left
Athens and went to Corinth,
18:2 where he met a Jew called
Aquila whose family came from Pontus. He and his wife Priscilla[*a] had
recently left Italy because an edict of Claudius had expelled all the Jews from
Rome.[*b] Paul went to visit them,
18:3 and when he found they
were tentmakers, of the same trade as himself, he lodged with them, and they
worked together.
18:4 Every sabbath he used to
hold debates in the synagogues, trying to convert Jews as well as Greeks.
18:5 After Silas and Timothy
had arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted all his time to preaching, declaring
to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
18:6 When they turned against
him and started to insult him, he took his cloak and shook it out in front of
them, saying, 'Your blood be on your own heads; from now on I can go to the
pagans with a clear conscience'.
18:7 Then he left the
synagogue and moved to the house next door that belonged to a worshipper of God
called Justus.
18:8 Crispus, president of the
synagogue, and his whole household, all became believers in the Lord. A great
many Corinthians who had heard him became believers and were baptised.
18:9 One night the Lord spoke
to Paul in a vision, 'Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be
silenced:
18:10 I am with you. I have so
many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.'
18:11 So Paul stayed there
preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months.
The Jews take Paul
to court
18:12 But while Gallio was
proconsul of Achaia,[*c] the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought
him before the tribunal.
18:13 'We accuse this man'
they said 'of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.'
18:14 Before Paul could open
his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, 'Listen, you Jews. If this were a
misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you;
18:15 but if it is only
quibbles about words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with
it yourselves-I have no intention of making legal decisions about things like
that.'
18:16 Then he sent them out of
the court,
18:17 and at once they all
turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue president, and beat him in front of the court
house. Gallio refused to take any notice at all.
Return to Antioch
and departure for the third journey
18:18 After staying on for
some time, Paul took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria,[*d]
accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off,
because of a vow he had made.
18:19 When they reached
Ephesus, he left them, but first he went alone to the synagogue to debate with
the Jews.
18:20 They asked him to stay
longer but he declined, though when he left he said, 'I will come back another
time, God willing'. Then he sailed from Ephesus.
18:22 He landed at Caesarea,
and went up to greet the church. Then he came down to Antioch
18:23 where he spent a short
time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then
through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers.
Apollos
18:24 An Alexandrian Jew named
Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge
of the scriptures, and yet,
18:25 though he had been given
instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual
earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had
only experienced the baptism of John.
18:26 When Priscilla and
Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him
and gave him further instruction about the Way.
18:27 When Apollos thought of
crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the
disciples to welcome him. When he arrived there he was able by God's grace to
help the believers considerably
18:28 by the energetic way he
refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was
the Christ.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 19
The disciples of
John at Ephesus
19:1 While Apollos was in
Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number
of disciples.
19:2 When he asked, 'Did you
receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?' they answered, 'No, we were
never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit'.
19:3 'Then how were you
baptised?' he asked. 'With John's baptism' they replied.
19:4 'John's baptism' said
Paul 'was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should
believe in the one who was to come after him-in other words Jesus.'
19:5 When they heard this,
they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus,
19:6 and the moment Paul had
laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak
with tongues and to prophesy.
19:7 There were about twelve
of these men.
Foundation of the church
of Ephesus
19:8 He began by going to the
synagogue, where he spoke out boldly and argued persuasively about the kingdom
of God. He did this for three months,
19:9 till the attitude of some
of the congregation hardened into unbelief. As soon as they began attacking the
Way in front of the others, he broke with them and took his disciples apart to
hold daily discussions in the lecture room of Tyrannus.
19:10 This went on for two
years, with the result that people from all over Asia,[*a] both Jews and Greeks,
were able to hear the word of the Lord.
The Jewish
exorcists
19:11 So remarkable were the
miracles worked by God at Paul's hands
19:12 that handkerchiefs or
aprons which had touched him were taken to the sick, and they were cured of
their illnesses, and the evil spirits came out of them.
19:13 But some itinerant
Jewish exorcists tried pronouncing the name of the Lord Jesus over people who
were possessed by evil spirits; they used to say, 'I command you by the Jesus
whose spokesman is Paul'.
19:14 Among those who did this
were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest.
19:15 The evil spirit replied,
'Jesus I recognise, and I know who Paul is, but who are you?'
19:16 and the man with the
evil spirit hurled himself at them and overpowered first one and then another,
and handled them so violently that they fled from that house naked and badly
mauled.
19:17 Everybody in Ephesus,
both Jews and Greeks, heard about this episode; they were all greatly
impressed, and the name of the Lord Jesus came to be held in great honour.
19:18 Some believers, too,
came forward to admit in detail how they had used spells
19:19 and a number of them who
had practised magic collected their books and made a bonfire of them in public.
The value of these was calculated to be fifty thousand silver pieces.
19:20 In this impressive way
the word of the Lord spread more and more widely and successfully.
V. A PRISONER FOR
CHRIST
Paul's plans
19:21 When all this was over
Paul made up his mind to go back to Jerusalem through Macedonia and Achaia.
'After I have been there' he said 'I must go on to see Rome as well.'
19:22 So he sent two of his
helpers, Timothy and Erastus, ahead of him to Macedonia, while he remained for
a time in Asia.
Ephesus: the silversmiths'
riot
19:23 It was during this time
that a rather serious disturbance broke out in connection with the Way.
19:24 A silversmith called
Demetrius, who employed a large number of craftsmen making silver shrines of
Diana,
19:25 called a general meeting
of his own men with others in the same trade. 'As you men know,' he said 'it is
on this industry that we depend for our prosperity.
19:26 Now you must have seen
and heard how, not just in Ephesus but nearly everywhere in Asia, this man Paul
has persuaded and converted a great number of people with his argument that
gods made by hand are not gods at all.
19:27 This threatens not only
to discredit our trade, but also to reduce the sanctuary of the great goddess
Diana to unimportance. It could end up by taking away all the prestige of a
goddess venerated all over Asia, yes, and everywhere in the civilised world.'
19:28 This speech roused them
to fury, and they started to shout, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians!'
19:29 The whole town was in an
uproar and the mob rushed to the theatre dragging along two of Paul's
Macedonian travelling companions, Gaius and Aristarchus.
19:30 Paul wanted to make an
appeal to the people, but the disciples refused to let him;
19:31 in fact, some of the
Asiarchs,[*b] who were friends of his, sent messages imploring him not to take
the risk of going into the theatre.
19:32 By now everybody was
shouting different things till the assembly itself had no idea what was going
on; most of them did not even know why they had been summoned.
19:33 The Jews pushed
Alexander to the front, and when some of the crowd shouted encouragement he
raised his hand for silence in the hope of being able to explain things to the
people.
19:34 When they realised he
was a Jew, they all started shouting in unison, 'Great is Diana of the
Ephesians!' and they kept this up for two hours.
19:35 When the town clerk
eventually succeeded in calming the crowd, he said, 'Citizens of Ephesus! Is
there anybody alive who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the
guardian of the temple of great Diana and of her statue that fell from heaven?
19:36 Nobody can contradict
this and there is no need for you to get excited or do anything rash.
19:37 These men you have
brought here are not guilty of any sacrilege or blasphemy against our goddess.
19:38 If Demetrius and the
craftsmen he has with him want to complain about anyone, there are the assizes
and the proconsuls; let them take the case to court.
19:39 And if you want to ask
any more questions you must raise them in the regular assembly.
19:40 We could easily be
charged with rioting for today's happenings: there was no ground for it all,
and we can give no reason for this gathering.'
19:41 When he had finished
this speech he dismissed the assembly.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 20
Paul leaves Ephesus
20:1 When the disturbance was
over, Paul sent for the disciples and, after speaking words of encouragement to
them, said good-bye and set out for Macedonia.
20:2 On his way through those
areas he said many words of encouragement to them and then made his way into
Greece,
20:3 where he spent three
months. He was leaving by ship for Syria[*a] when a plot organised against him
by the Jews made him decide to go back by way of Macedonia.
20:4 He was accompanied by
Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, who came from Beroea; Aristarchus and Secundus who
came from Thessalonika; Gaius from Doberus, and Timothy, as well as Tychicus
and Trophimus who were from Asia.
20:5 They all went on to Troas
where they waited for us.
20:6 We ourselves left
Philippi by ship after the days of Unleavened Bread and met them five days
later at Troas, where we stopped for a week.
Troas: Paul raises
a dead man to life
20:7 On the first day of the
week[*b] we met to break bread. Paul was due to leave the next day, and he
preached a sermon that went on till the middle of the night.
20:8 A number of lamps were
lit in the upstairs room where we were assembled,
20:9 and as Paul went on and
on, a young man called Eutychus who was sitting on the window-sill grew drowsy
and was overcome by sleep and fell to the ground three floors below. He was
picked up dead.
20:10 Paul went down and
stooped to clasp the boy to him. 'There is no need to worry,' he said 'there is
still life in him.'
20:11 Then he went back
upstairs where he broke bread and ate and carried on talking till he left at
daybreak.
20:12 They took the boy away
alive, and were greatly encouraged.
From Troas to
Miletus
20:13 We were now to go on
ahead by sea, so we set sail for Assos, where we were to take Paul on board;
this was what he had arranged, for he wanted to go by road.
20:14 When he rejoined us at
Assos we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.
20:15 The next day we sailed
from there and arrived opposite Chios. The second day we touched at Samos and,
after stopping at Trogyllium, made Miletus the next day.
20:16 Paul had decided to pass
wide of Ephesus so as to avoid spending time in Asia, since he was anxious to
be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost.
Farewell to the
elders of Ephesus
20:17 From Miletus he sent for
the elders of the church of Ephesus.
20:18 When they arrived he
addressed these words to them: 'You know what my way of life has been ever
since the first day I set foot among you in Asia,
20:19 how I have served the
Lord in all humility, with all the sorrows and trials that came to me through
the plots of the Jews.
20:20 I have not hesitated to
do anything that would be helpful to you; I have preached to you, and
instructed you both in public and in your homes,
20:21 urging both Jews and
Greeks to turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.
20:22 'And now you see me a
prisoner already in spirit; I am on my way to Jerusalem, but have no idea what
will happen to me there,
20:23 except that the Holy
Spirit, in town after town, has made it clear enough that imprisonment and
persecution await me.
20:24 But life to me is not a
thing to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out
the mission the Lord Jesus gave me - and that was to bear witness to the Good
News of God's grace.
20:25 'I now feel sure that
none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will ever see
my face again.
20:26 And so here and now I
swear that my conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned,
20:27 for I have without
faltering put before you the whole of God's purpose.
20:28 'Be on your guard for
yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the
overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood.
20:29 I know quite well that
when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the
flock.
20:30 Even from your own ranks
there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to
induce the disciples to follow them.
20:31 So be on your guard,
remembering how night and day for three years I never failed to keep you right,
shedding tears over each one of you.
20:32 And now I commend you to
God, and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give
you your inheritance among all the sanctified.
20:33 'I have never asked
anyone for money or clothes;
20:34 you know for yourselves
that the work I did earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions.
20:35 I did this to show you
that this is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak, remembering the
words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, "There is more happiness in
giving than in receiving".'
20:36 When he had finished
speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed.
20:37 By now they were all in
tears; they put their arms round Paul's neck and kissed him;
20:38 what saddened them most
was his saying they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to
the ship.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 21
The Journey to
Jerusalem
21:1 When we had at last torn
ourselves away from them and put to sea, we set a straight course and arrived
at Cos; the next day we reached Rhodes, and from there went on to Patara.
21:2 Here we found a ship
bound for Phoenicia, so we went on board and sailed in her.
21:3 After sighting Cyprus and
leaving it to port, we sailed to Syria and put in at Tyre, since the ship was
to unload her cargo there.
21:4 We sought out the
disciples and stayed there a week. Speaking in the Spirit, they kept telling
Paul not to go on to Jerusalem,
21:5 but when our time was up
we set off. Together with the women and children they all escorted us on our
way till we were out of the town. When we reached the beach, we knelt down and
prayed;
21:6 then, after saying
good-bye to each other, we went aboard and they returned home.
21:7 The end of our voyage
from Tyre came when we landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and
stayed one day with them.
21:8 The next day we left and
came to Caesarea. Here we called on Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven,
and stayed with him.
21:9 He had four virgin
daughters who were prophets.
21:10 When we had been there
several days a prophet called Agabus arrived from Judaea
21:11 to see us. He took
Paul's girdle, and tied up his own feet and hands, and said, 'This is what the
Holy Spirit says, "The man this girdle belongs to will be bound like this
by the Jews in Jerusalem, and handed over to the pagans"'.
21:12 When we heard this, we
and everybody there implored Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
21:13 To this he replied,
'What are you trying to do - weaken my resolution by your tears? For my part, I
am ready not only to be tied up but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of
the Lord Jesus.'
21:14 And so, as he would not
be persuaded, we gave up the attempt, saying, 'The Lord's will be done'.
Paul's arrival in
Jerusalem
21:15 After this we packed and
went on up to Jerusalem.
21:16 Some of the disciples
from Caesarea accompanied us and took us to the house of a Cypriot with whom we
were to lodge; he was called Mnason and had been one of the earliest disciples.
21:17 On our arrival in
Jerusalem the brothers gave us a very warm welcome.
21:18 The next day Paul went
with us to visit James, and all the elders were present.
21:19 After greeting them he
gave a detailed account of all that God had done among the pagans through his
ministry.
21:20 They gave glory to God
when they heard this. 'But you see, brother,' they said 'how thousands of Jews
have now become believers, all of them staunch upholders of the Law, and
21:21 they have heard that you
instruct all Jews living among the pagans to break away from Moses, authorising
them not to circumcise their children or to follow the customary practices.
21:22 What is to be done?
Inevitably there will be a meeting of the whole body, since they are bound to
hear that you have come.
21:23 So do as we suggest. We
have four men here who are under a vow;
21:24 take these men along and
be purified with them and pay all the expenses. connected with the shaving of
their heads.[*a] This will let everyone know there is no truth in the reports
they have heard about you and that you still regularly observe the Law.
21:25 The pagans who have
become believers, as we wrote when we told them our decisions, must abstain
from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals
and from fornication.'
21:26 So the next day Paul
took the men along and was purified with them and he visited the Temple to give
notice of the time when the period of purification would be over and the
offering would have to be presented on behalf of each of them.
Paul's arrest
21:27 The seven days were
nearly over when some Jews from Asia caught sight of him in the Temple and
stirred up the crowd and seized him,
21:28 shouting, 'Men of
Israel, help! This is the man who preaches to everyone everywhere against our
people, against the Law and against this place. Now he has profaned this Holy
Place by bringing Greeks into the Temple.'
21:29 They had, in fact,
previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and thought that
Paul had brought him into the Temple.
21:30 This roused the whole
city; people came running from all sides; they seized Paul and dragged him out
of the Temple, and the gates were closed behind them.
21:31 They would have killed
him if a report had not reached the tribune of the cohort[*b] that there was
rioting all over Jerusalem.
21:32 He immediately called
out soldiers and centurions, and charged down on the crowd, who stopped beating
Paul when they saw the tribune and the soldiers.
21:33 When the tribune came up
he arrested Paul, had him bound with two chains and enquired who he was and
what he had done.
21:34 People in the crowd
called out different things, and since the noise made it impossible for him to
get any positive information, the tribune ordered Paul to be taken into the
fortress.
21:35 When Paul reached the
steps, the crowd became so violent that he had to be carried by the soldiers;
21:36 and indeed the whole mob
was after them, shouting, 'Kill him!'
21:37 Just as Paul was being
taken into the fortress, he asked the tribune if he could have a word with him.
The tribune said, 'You speak Greek, then?
21:38 So you are not the
Egyptian who started the recent revolt and led those four thousand
cutthroats[*c] out into the desert?'
21:39 'I?' said Paul 'I am a
Jew and a citizen of the well-known city of Tarsus in Cilicia. Please give me
permission to speak to the people.'
21:40 The man gave his consent
and Paul, standing at the top of the steps, gestured to the people with his
hand. When all was quiet again he spoke to them in Hebrew. [*d]
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES Chapter
22
Paul's address to
the Jews of Jerusalem
22:1 'My brothers, my fathers,
listen to what I have to say to you in my defence.'
22:2 When they realised he was
speaking in Hebrew, the silence was even greater than before.
22:3 'I am a Jew,' Paul said
'and was, born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. I
studied under Gamaliel and was. taught the exact observance of the Law of our
ancestors. In fact, I was as full of duty towards God as you are today.
22:4 I even persecuted this Way
to the death, and sent women as well as men to prison in chains
22:5 as the high priest and
the whole council of elders can testify, since they even sent me with letters'
to their brothers in Damascus. When I set off it was with the intention of
bringing prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.
22:6 'I was on that journey
and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from heaven suddenly
shone round me.
22:7 I fell to the ground and
heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
22:8 I answered: Who are you,
Lord? and he said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting
me".
22:9 The people with me saw
the light but did not hear his voice as he spoke to me.
22:10 I said: What am I to do,
Lord? The Lord answered, "Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you
will be told what you have been appointed to do".
22:11 The light had been so
dazzling that I was blind and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so
I came to Damascus.
22:12 Someone called Ananias,
a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living
there,
22:13 came to see me; he stood
beside me and said, "Brother Saul, receive your sight". Instantly my
sight came back and I was able to see him.
22:14 Then he said, "The
God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and
hear his own voice speaking,
22:15 because you are to be
his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard.
22:16 And now why delay? It is
time you were baptised and had your sins washed away while invoking his
name."
22:17 'Once, after I had got
back to Jerusalem, when I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance
22:18 and then I saw him.
"Hurry," he said "leave Jerusalem at once; they will not accept
the testimony you are giving about me"
22:19 Lord, I answered, it is
because they know that I used to go from synagogue to synagogue, imprisoning
and flogging those who believed in you;
22:20 and that when the blood
of your witness[*a] Stephen was being shed, I was standing by in full agreement
with his murderers, and minding their clothes.
22:21 Then he said to me,
"Go! I am sending you out to the pagans far away."'
Paul the Roman
citizen
22:22 So far they had listened
to him, but at these words they began to shout, 'Rid the earth of the man! He
is not fit to live!'
22:23 They were yelling,
waving their cloaks and throwing dust into the air,
22:24 and so the tribune had
him brought into the fortress and ordered him to be examined under the lash, to
find out the reason for the outcry against him.
22:25 But when they had
strapped him down Paul said to the centurion on duty, 'Is it legal for you to
flog a man who is a Roman citizen and has not been brought to trial?'
22:26 When he heard this the
centurion went and told the tribune; 'Do you realise what you are doing?' he
said 'This man is a Roman citizen'.
22:27 So the tribune came and
asked him, 'Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?' 'I am' Paul said.
22:28 The tribune replied, 'It
cost me a large sum to acquire this citizenship'. 'But I was born to it' said
Paul.
22:29 Then those who were
about to examine him hurriedly withdrew, and the tribune himself was alarmed
when he realised that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.
His appearance
before the Sanhedrin
22:30 The next day, since he
wanted to know what precise charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Paul and
gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then
he brought Paul down and stood him in front of them.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 23
23:1 Paul looked steadily at
the Sanhedrin and began to speak, 'My brothers, to this day I have conducted
myself before God with a perfectly clear conscience'.
23:2 At this the high priest
Ananias ordered his attendants to strike him on the mouth.
23:3 Then Paul said to him,
'God will surely strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there to
judge me according to the Law, and then break the Law by ordering a man to
strike me?'
23:4 The attendants said, 'It
is God's high priest you are insulting!'
23:5 Paul answered, 'Brothers,
I did not realise it was the high priest, for scripture says: You must not
curse a ruler of your people'.[*a]
23:6 Now Paul was well aware
that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he
called out in the Sanhedrin, 'Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of
Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on
trial.'
23:7 As soon as he said this a
dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was
split between the two parties.
23:8 For the Sadducees say
there is neither resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, while the Pharisees
accept all three.
23:9 The shouting grew louder,
and some of the scribes from the Pharisees' party stood up and protested
strongly, 'We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit has spoken to
him, or an angel?'
23:10 Feeling was running
high, and the tribune, afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered his
troops to go down and haul him out and bring him into the fortress.
23:11 Next night, the Lord
appeared to him and said, 'Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem,
now you must do the same in Rome.'
The conspiracy of
the Jews against Paul
23:12 When it was day, the
Jews held a secret meeting at which they made a vow not to eat or drink until
they had killed Paul.
23:13 There were more than
forty who took part in this conspiracy,
23:14 and they went to the
chief priests and elders, and told them, 'We have made a solemn vow to let
nothing pass our lips until we have killed Paul.
23:15 Now it is up to you and
the Sanhedrin together to apply to the tribune to bring him down to you, as
though you meant to examine his case more closely; we, on our side, are
prepared to dispose of him before he reaches you.'
23:16 But the son of Paul's
sister heard of the ambush they were laying and made his way into the fortress
and told Paul,
23:17 who called one of the
centurions and said, 'Take this young man to the tribune; he has something to
tell him'.
23:18 So the man took him to
the tribune, and reported, 'The prisoner Paul summoned me and requested me to
bring this young man to you; he has something to tell you'.
23:19 Then the tribune took
him by the hand and drew him aside and asked, 'What is it you have to tell me?'
23:20 He replied, 'The Jews
have made a plan to ask you to take Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as
though they meant to inquire more closely into his case.
23:21 Do not let them persuade
you. There are more than forty of them lying in wait for him, and they have
vowed not to eat or drink until they have got rid of him. They are ready now
and only waiting for your order to be given.'
23:22 The tribune let the
young man go with this caution, 'Tell no one that you have given me this
information'.
Paul transferred to
Caesarea
23:23 Then he summoned two of
the centurions and said, 'Get two hundred soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea
by the third hour of the night with seventy cavalry and two hundred
auxiliaries;
23:24 provide horses for Paul,
and deliver him unharmed to Felix the governor'.[*b]
23:25 He also wrote a letter
in these terms:
23:26 'Claudius Lysias to his
Excellency the governor Felix, greetings.
23:27 This man had been seized
by the Jews and would have been murdered by them but I came on the scene with
my troops and got him away, having discovered that he was a Roman citizen.
23:28 Wanting to find out what
charge they were making against him, I brought him before their Sanhedrin.
23:29 I found that the
accusation concerned disputed points of their Law, but that there was no charge
deserving death or imprisonment.
23:30 My information is that
there is a conspiracy against the man, so I hasten to send him to you, and have
notified his accusers that they must state their case against him in your
presence.'
23:31 The soldiers carried out
their orders; they took Paul and escorted him by night to Antipatris.
23:32 Next day they left the
mounted escort to go on with him and returned to the fortress.
23:33 On arriving at Caesarea
the escort delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.
23:34 The governor read the
letter and asked him what province he came from. Learning that he was from
Cilicia he said,
23:35 'I will hear your case
as soon as your accusers are here too'. Then he ordered him to be held in
Herod's praetorium.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 24
The case before
Felix
24:1 Five days later the high
priest Ananias came down with some of the elders and an advocate named
Tertullus, and they laid information against Paul before the governor.
24:2 Paul was called, and
Tertullus opened for the prosecution, 'Your Excellency, Felix, the unbroken
peace we enjoy and the reforms this nation owes to your foresight
24:3 are matters we accept,
always and everywhere, with all gratitude.
24:4 I do not want to take up
too much of your time, but I beg you to give us a brief hearing.
24:5 The plain truth is that
we find this man a perfect pest; he stirs up trouble among Jews the world over,
and is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect.
24:6 He has even attempted to
profane the Temple. We placed him under arrest
24:7 but the tribune Lysias
intervened and took him out of our hands by force,
24:8 ordering his accusers to
appear before you; if you ask him[*a] you can find out for yourself the truth
of all our accusations against this man.'
24:9 The Jews supporting him,
asserting that these were the facts.
24:10 When the governor
motioned him to speak, Paul answered:
Paul's speech
before the Roman governor
'I know that you have
administered justice over this nation for many years, and I can therefore speak
with confidence in my defence.
24:11 As you can verify for
yourself, it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem on
pilgrimage,
24:12 and it is not true that
they ever found me arguing with anyone or stirring up the mob, either in the
Temple, in the synagogues, or about the town; neither can they prove any of
24:13 the accusations they are
making against me now.
24:14 What I do admit to you
is this: it is according to the Way which they describe as a sect that I
worship the God of my ancestors, retaining my belief in all points of the Law
and in what is written in the prophets;
24:15 and I hold the same hope
is in God as they do that there will be a resurrection of good men and bad men
alike.
24:16 In these things, I, as
much as they, do my best to keep a clear conscience at all times before God and
man.
24:17 After several years I
came to bring alms to my nation and to make offerings;
24:18 it was in connection
with these that they found me in the Temple; I had been purified, and there was
no crowd involved, and no disturbance.
24:19 But some Jews from Asia...
-these are the ones who should have appeared before you and accused me of
whatever they had against me.
24:20 At least let those who
are present say what crime they found me guilty of when I stood before the
Sanhedrin,
24:21 unless it were to do
with this single outburst, when I stood up among them and called out: It is
about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.'
Paul's captivity at
Caesarea
24:22 At this, Felix, who knew
more about the Way than most people, adjourned the case, saying, 'When Lysias
the tribune has come down I will go into your case'.
24:23 He then gave orders to
the centurion that Paul should be kept under arrest but free from restriction,
and that none of his own people should be prevented from seeing to his needs.
24:24 Some days later Felix
came with his wife Drusilla who was a Jewess.[*b]
24:24 He sent for Paul and
gave him a hearing on the subject of faith in Christ Jesus.
24:25 But when he began to
treat of righteousness, self-control and the coming Judgement, Felix took
fright and said, 'You may go for the present; I will send for you when I find
it convenient'.
24:26 At the same time he had
hopes of receiving money from Paul, and for this reason he sent for him
frequently and had talks with him.
24:27 When the two years[*c]
came to an end, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus and, being anxious to
gain favour with the Jews, Felix left Paul in custody.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 25
Paul appeals to
Caesar
25:1 Three days after his
arrival in the province, Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caeserea.
25:2 The chief priests and
leaders of the Jews informed him of the case against Paul, urgently
25:3 asking him to support
them rather than Paul, and to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They were, in
fact, preparing an ambush to murder him on the way.
25:4 But Festus replied that
Paul would remain in custody in Caesarea, and that he would be going back there
shortly himself.
25:5 'Let your authorities
come down with me' he said 'and if there is anything wrong about the man, they
can bring a charge against him.'
25:6 After staying with them
for eight or ten days at the most, he went down to Caesarea and the next day he
took his seat on the tribunal and had Paul brought in.
25:7 As soon as Paul appeared,
the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him, making many serious
accusations which they were unable to substantiate.
25:8 Paul's defence was this,
'I have committed no offence whatever against either Jewish law, or the Temple,
or Caesar'.
25:9 Festus was anxious to
gain favour with the Jews, so he said to Paul, 'Are you willing to go up to
Jerusalem and be tried on these charges before me there?'
25:10 But Paul replied, 'I am
standing before the tribunal of Caesar and this is where I should be tried. I
have done the Jews no wrong, as you very well know.
25:11 If I am guilty of
committing any capital crime, I do not ask to be spared the death penalty. But
if there is no substance in the accusations these persons bring against me, no
one has a right to surrender me to them. I appeal to Caesar.'
25:12 Then Festus conferred
with his advisers and replied, 'You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you
shall go'.
Paul appears before
King Agrippa
25:13 Some days later King
Agrippa and Bernice[*a] arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus.
25:14 Their visit lasted
several days, and Festus put Paul's case before the king. 'There is a man here'
he said 'whom Felix left behind in custody,
25:15 and while I was in
Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against
him, demanding his condemnation.
25:16 But I told them that
Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused
confronts his accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against
the charge.
25:17 So they came here with
me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next day and
had the man brought in.
25:18 When confronted with
him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected;
25:19 but they had some
argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called
Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive.
25:20 Not feeling qualified to
deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be willing to go to
Jerusalem to be tried there on this issue.
25:21 But Paul put in an
appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the august emperor, so
I ordered him to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.'
25:22 Agrippa said to Festus,
'I should like to hear the man myself'. 'Tomorrow' he answered 'you shall hear
him.'
25:23 So the next day Agrippa
and Bernice arrived in great state and entered the audience chamber attended by
the tribunes and the city notables; and Festus ordered Paul to be brought in.
25:24 Then Festus said, 'King
Agrippa, and all here present with us, you see before you the man about whom
the whole Jewish community has petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here,
loudly protesting that he ought not to be allowed to remain alive.
25:25 For my own part I am
satisfied that he has committed no capital crime, but when he himself appealed
to the august emperor I decided to send him.
25:26 But I have nothing
definite that I can write to his Imperial Majesty about him; that is why I have
produced him before you all, and before you in particular, King Agrippa, so
that after the examination I may have something to write.
25:27 It seems to me pointless
to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.'
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 26
26:1 Then Agrippa said to
Paul, 'You have leave to speak on your own behalf'. And Paul held up his hand
and began his defence:
Paul's speech
before King Agrippa
26:2 'I consider myself
fortunate, King Agrippa, in that it is before you I am to answer today all the
charges made against me by the Jews,
26:3 the more so because you
are an expert in matters of custom and controversy among the Jews. So I beg you
to listen to me patiently.
26:4 'My manner of life from
my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem,
is common knowledge among the Jews.
26:5 They have known me for a
long time and could testify, if they would, that I followed the strictest party
in our religion and lived as a Pharisee.
26:6 And now it is for my hope
in the promise made by God to our ancestors that I am on trial,
26:7 the promise that our
twelve tribes, constant in worship night and day, hope to attain. For that
hope, Sire, I am actually put on trial by Jews!
26:8 Why does it seem
incredible to you that God should raise the dead?
26:9 'As for me, I once
thought it was my duty to use every means to oppose the name of Jesus the
Nazarene.
26:10 This I did in Jerusalem;
I myself threw many of the saints into prison, acting on authority from the
chief priests, and when they were sentenced to death I cast my vote against
them.
26:11 I often went round the
synagogues inflicting penalties, trying in this way to force them to renounce
their faith; my fury against them was so extreme that I even pursued them into
foreign cities.
26:12 'On one such expedition
I was going to Damascus, armed with full powers and a commission from the chief
priests,
26:13 and at midday as I was
on my way, your Majesty, I saw a light brighter than the sun come down from
heaven. It shone brilliantly round me and my fellow travellers.
26:14 We all fell to the
ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, "Saul, Saul, why are
you persecuting me? It is hard for you, kicking like this against the
goad."[*a]
26:15 Then I said: Who are
you, Lord? And the Lord answered, "I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me.
26:16 But get up and stand on
your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason: to appoint you as my servant
and as witness of this vision in which you have seen me, and of others in which
I shall appear to you.
26:17 I shall deliver you from
the people and from the pagans, to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes,
so that they may turn from darkness to light,[*b] from the dominion of Satan to
God, and receive, through faith in me, forgiveness of their sins and a share in
the inheritance of the sanctified."
26:19 'After that, King
Agrippa, I could not disobey the heavenly vision.
26:20 On the contrary I
started preaching, first to the people of Damascus, then to those of Jerusalem
and all the countryside of Judaea, and also to the pagans, urging them to
repent and turn to God, proving their change of heart by their deeds.
26:21 This was why the Jews
laid hands on me in the Temple and tried to do away with me.
26:22 But I was blessed with
God's help, and so I have stood firm to this day, testifying to great and small
alike, saying nothing more than what the prophets and Moses himself said would
happen:
26:23 that the Christ was to
suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he was to proclaim that
light now shone for our people and for the pagans too.'
His hearers'
reactions
26:24 He had reached this
point in his defence when Festus shouted out, 'Paul, you are out of your mind;
all that learning of yours is driving you mad'.
26:25 'Festus, your
Excellency,' answered Paul 'I am not mad: I am speaking nothing but the
sober truth.
26:26 The king understands
these matters, and to him I now speak with assurance, confident that nothing of
all this is lost on him; after all, these things were not done in a corner.
26:27 King Agrippa, do you
believe in the prophets? I know you do.'
26:28 At this Agrippa said to
Paul, 'A little more, and your arguments would make a Christian of me'.
26:29 'Little or more,' Paul
replied 'I wish before God that not only you but all who have heard me today
would come to be as I am-except for these chains.'
26:30 At this the king rose to
his feet, with the governor and Bernice and those who sat there with them.
26:31 When they had retired
they talked together and agreed, 'This man is doing nothing that deserves death
or imprisonment'.
26:32 And Agrippa remarked to
Festus, 'The man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar'.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 27
The departure for
Rome
27:1 When it had been decided
that we should sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over
to a centurion called Julius, of the Augustan cohort.
27:2 We boarded a vessel from
Adramyttium bound for ports on the Asiatic coast, and put to sea; we had
Aristatchus with us, a Macedonian of Thessalonika.
27:3 Next day we put in at
Sidon, and Julius was considerate enough to allow Paul to go to his friends to
be looked after.
27:4 From there we put to sea
again, but as the winds were against us we sailed under the lee of Cyprus,
27:5 then across the open sea
off Cilicia and Pamphylia taking a fortnight to reach Myra in Lycia.
27:6 There the centurion found
an Alexandrian ship leaving for Italy and put us aboard.
27:7 For some days we made
little headway, and we had difficulty in making Cnidus. The wind would not
allow us to touch there, so we sailed under the lee of Crete off Cape Salmone
27:8 and struggled along the
coast until we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
Storm and shipwreck
27:9 A great deal of time had
been lost, and navigation was already hazardous since it was now well after the
time of the Fast,[*a] so Paul gave them this warning,
27:10 'Friends, I can see this
voyage will be dangerous and that we run the risk of losing not only the cargo
and the ship but also our lives as well'.
27:11 But the centurion took
more notice of the captain and the ship's owner than of what Paul was saying;
27:12 and since the harbour
was unsuitable for wintering, the majority were for putting out from there in
the hope of wintering at Phoenix-a harbour in Crete, facing south-west and
north-west.
27:13 A southerly breeze sprang
up and, thinking their objective as good as reached, they weighed anchor and
began to sail past Crete, close inshore.
27:14 But it was not long
before a hurricane, the 'north-easter' as they call it, burst on them from
across the island.
27:15 The ship was caught and
could not be turned head-on to the wind, so we had to give way to it and let
ourselves be driven.
27:16 We ran under the lee of
a small island called Cauda and managed with some difficulty to bring the
ship's boat under control.
27:17 They hoisted it aboard
and with the help of tackle bound cables round the ship; then, afraid of
running aground on the Syrtis banks, they floated out the sea-anchor and so let
themselves drift.
27:18 As we were making very
heavy weather of it, the next day they began to jettison the cargo,
27:19 and the third day they
threw the ship's gear overboard with their own hands.
27:20 For a number of days
both the sun and the stars were invisible and the storm raged unabated until at
last we gave up all hope of surviving.
27:21 Then, when they had been
without food for a long time, Paul stood up among the men. 'Friends,' he said
'if you had listened to me and not put out from Crete, you would have spared
yourselves all this damage and loss.
27:22 But now I ask you not to
give way to despair. There will be no loss of life at all, only of the ship.
27:23 Last night there was
standing beside me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,
27:24 and he said, "Do
not be afraid, Paul. You are destined to appear before Caesar, and for this
reason God grants you the safety of all who are sailing with you."
27:25 So take courage,
friends; I trust in God that things will turn out just as I was told;
27:26 but we are to be
stranded on some island.'
27:27 On the fourteenth night
we were being driven one way and another in the Adriatic,[*b] when about
midnight the crew sensed that land of some sort was near.
27:28 They took soundings and
found twenty fathoms; after a short interval they sounded again and found
fifteen fathoms.
27:29 Then, afraid that we
might run aground somewhere on a reef, they dropped four anchors from the stern
and prayed for daylight.
27:30 When some of the crew
tried to escape from the ship and lowered the ship's boat into the sea as
though to lay out anchors from the bows,
27:31 Paul said to the
centurion and his men, 'Unless those men stay on board you cannot hope to be
saved'.
27:32 So the soldiers cut the
boat's ropes and let it drop away.
27:33 Just before daybreak Paul
urged them all to have something to eat. 'For fourteen days' he said 'you have
been in suspense, going hungry and eating nothing.
27:34 Let me persuade you to
have something to eat; your safety is not in doubt. Not a hair of your heads
will be lost.'
27:35 With these words he took
some bread, gave thanks to God in front of them all, broke it and began to eat.
27:36 Then they all plucked up
courage and took something to eat themselves.
27:37 We were in all two
hundred and seventy-six souls on board that ship.
27:38 When they had eaten what
they wanted they lightened the ship by throwing the corn overboard into the
sea.
27:39 When day came they did
not recognise the land, but they could make out a kind of bay with a beach;
they planned to run the ship aground on this if they could.
27:40 They slipped the anchors
and left them to the sea, and at the same time loosened the lashings of the
rudders; then, hoisting the foresail to the wind, they headed for the beach.
27:41 But the cross-currents
carried them into a shoal and the vessel ran aground. The bows were wedged in
and stuck fast, while the stern began to break up with the pounding of the
waves.
27:42 The soldiers planned to
kill the prisoners for fear that any should swim off and escape.
27:43 But the centurion was
determined to bring Paul safely through, and would not let them do what they
intended. He gave orders that those who could swim should jump overboard first
and so get ashore,
27:44 and the rest follow
either on planks or on pieces of wreckage. In this way all came safe and sound
to land.
JB ACTS OF APOSTLES
Chapter 28
Waiting in Malta
28:1 Once we had come safely
through, we discovered that the island was called Malta.
28:2 The inhabitants treated
us with unusual kindness. They made us all welcome, and they lit a huge fire
because it had started to rain and the weather was cold.
28:3 Paul had collected a
bundle of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a viper brought out by
the heat attached itself to his hand.
28:4 When the natives saw the
creature hanging from his hand they said to one another, 'That man must be a
murderer; he may have escaped the sea, but divine vengeance would not let him
live'.
28:5 However, he shook the
creature off into the fire and came to no harm,
28:6 although they were
expecting him at any moment to swell up or drop dead on the spot. After they
had waited a long time without seeing anything out of the ordinary happen to
him, they changed their minds and began to say he was a god.
28:7 In that neighbourhood
there were estates belonging to the prefect of the island, whose name was
Publius. He received us and entertained us hospitably for three days.
28:8 It so happened that
Publius' father was in bed, suffering from feverish attacks and dysentery. Paul
went in to see him, and after a prayer he laid his hands on the man and healed
him.
28:9 When this happened, the
other sick people on the island came as well and were cured;
28:10 they honoured us with
many marks of respect, and when we sailed they put on board the provisions we
needed.
From Malta to Rome
28:11 At the end of three
months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island; she came from
Alexandria and her figurehead was the Twins.
28:12 We put in at Syracuse
and spent three days there;
28:13 from there we followed
the coast up to Rhegium. After one day there a south wind sprang up and on the
second day we made Puteoli,[*a]
28:14 where we found some
brothers and were much rewarded by staying a week with them. And so we came to
Rome.
28:15 When the brothers there
heard of our arrival they came to meet us, as far as the Forum of Appius and
the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them he thanked God and took courage.
28:16 On our arrival in Rome
Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of his own with the soldier who guarded
him.
Paul makes contact
with the Roman Jews
28:17 After three days he
called together the leading Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them,
'Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of
our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.
28:18 They examined me and
would have set me free, since they found me guilty of nothing involving the
death penalty;
28:19 but the Jews lodged an
objection, and I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation
to make against my own nation.
28:20 That is why I have asked
to see you and talk to you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I
wear this chain.'
28:21 They answered, 'We have
received no letters from Judaea about you, nor has any countryman of yours
arrived here with any report or story of anything to your discredit.
28:22 We think it would be as
well to hear your own account of your position; all we know about this sect is
that opinion everywhere condemns it.'
Paul's declaration
to the Roman Jews
28:23 So they arranged a day
with him and a large number of them visited him at his lodgings. He put his
case to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them
about Jesus, arguing from the Law of Moses and the prophets. This went on from
early morning until evening,
28:24 and some were convinced
by what he said, while the rest were sceptical.
28:25 So they disagreed among
themselves and, as they went away, Paul had one last thing to say to them, 'How
aptly the Holy Spirit spoke when he told your ancestors through the prophet
Isaiah:
28:26 Go to this nation and
say: You will hear and hear again but not understand, see and see again, but
not perceive.
28:27 For the heart of this
nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing and they have shut
their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears,
understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me.[*b]
28:28 'Understand, then, that
this salvation of God has been sent to the pagans; they will listen to it.'
Epilogue
28:30 Paul spent the whole of
the two years[*c] in his own rented lodging. He welcomed all who came to visit
him,
28:31 proclaiming the kingdom
of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete freedom
and without hindrance from anyone.
END OF JB ACTS OF
APOSTLES [28 Chapters].